Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame
Enshrined 1994
John Clifford (Cliff) Garrett was born in Seattle, Washington. He studied engineering at UCLA and was introduced to aviation through early associations with Lockheed, Northrop, and Douglas. In 1936 he formed his own company, Aircraft Tool & Supply, which became The Garrett Corporation and is now part of AlliedSignal. He was a pioneer in the science of high altitude flight in air and space. As a result of his innovative efforts, the company became a world leader in aircraft pressurization systems.
The small gas turbine he developed for auxiliary power units also resulted in the first on-board pneumatic starting system for modern aircraft. And his APU ultimately led to one of the most popular propulsion engines in worldwide service today. Much of his work is still done in Phoenix where, in 1941, he established new facilities to meet the needs of a nation at war. Although known for his advances in aerospace technology, he’s also noted for his revolutionary concepts in labor-management relations. To entrepreneur Cliff Garrett, all employees were family.
