Don Horn Company

[Harold Holiman]

Does anybody know the history of, or what ever happened to the "Don Horn Aero Supply" in Memphis. During the 1970's I used to get all of my aircraft parts from them. Their catalog at the time was bigger than the current "Spruce" catalog. I believe they were the largest supplier of aircraft parts in the Southeast and possably in the entire United States. Just curious why they disappeared.

Harold

[voorheesh]

Don Horn's career got off to a flying start after his 1939 graduation from Ritenour - first at Robertson Aviation School at Lambert Field, where he earned his aircraft and engine license, and in 1945 at Memphis Flying School, where he earned a private pilot's license. In the 1940s, Don worked as a naval aircraft inspector and managed a Memphis company that distributed aircraft parts and equipment. In 1950, while still in his twenties, he purchased an operation which he reorganized as the Don Horn Company. Over the next 28 years, serving as general manager, president and CEO, he built the company from a four-employee distributorship to a 40-person work force.

During these years, Don also founded and published "Cars and Parts," an automotive magazine, and founded Smith and Smith Aircraft Corporation in New Orleans. He sold the Don Horn Company in 1978, and it has since become the international division of the Ryder Corporation. For the past 23 years, he has served as CEO of D & M Real Estate Company, which deals with commercial property. Don is a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, past president of the Aviation Distributors and Manufacturers Association, a founding member and long-time board member of the General Aviation Division of the National Association of Credit Management, the founder and first president of the National Aircraft Parts Distributors Association and the founder of the Aircraft Parts Catalogue Association.

For the past 30 years, Don has been a member of the Department of Defense Orientation Conference Association, through which he has visited 19 foreign countries and many military installations in the U.S. He has also been invited to participate in seminars and forums sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and the War Colleges of the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force.

For 17 years Don was a member of the board of directors of the Memphis Downtown Rotary Club. He served on the Memphis Area Vocational-Technical School Advisory Board and chaired the Military Affairs Council of the Memphis Area Chamber of Commerce. He is a past president of the Rowland Heights-Diamond Bar-Walnut Rotary Club and has been a delegate to two international conferences. He served for four years as a member of the General Advisory Council of the La Puente Valley Regional Occupational Program and of the Board of Directors of Mt. San Antonio College Foundation. He is presently a member of the USAF Foundation and director emeritus of the U.S. Navy War College Foundation.

A life-long aviation and auto racing enthusiast, Don has accumulated more than 5,000 hours of flying time in many kinds of aircraft and, as a member of the Sports Car Club of America, raced in international competition for 13 years.

Don and his wife, the former Margaret Lee Robertson, live in Diamond Bar, California. Don's parents were the late Otto and Martha Sprick Horn.

[voorheesh]

I did not write the above post. I found it on google and it comes from Don's high school alumni post. I am pretty sure it is the same Don Horn.

[flyguy]

I did not write the above post. I found it on google and it comes from Don's high school alumni post. I am pretty sure it is the same Don Horn.

WHEEEWWW ! ! I THINKED U WUZ PLANNIN ON GITTIN THE WRITERS OF BYOGRAFIKAL STUFF ASSOYASHUN ER SUMTHIN - -

Though it is really a good story , vor this is where we are now It used to be "Ain't God good"? Now it's Ain't Google wonderful"?

[Harold Holiman]

Great information on Don Horn and company. I always just wondered what happended to the company. i didn't dream he had done so much. I also used to take "Cars and Parts" but I did not know that he was also associated with it. Thanks for the info.

Harold