Goleta Magazine 2018 - 48

history

Karen Ramsdell
Talking Goleta history with the Woman of the Year
Left to right: The historic
Santa Barbara Airport
terminal pictured in 1942
when it was a Marine Base.
Karen Ramsdell pictured
in front of the Ovington
Terminal that she helped to
preserve. Earle Ovington
pictured with his wife,
Adelaide. Earle was a Santa
Barbara resident who
piloted the first airmail flight
and for whom the historic
terminal was dedicated in
the 1960s. The preserved
terminal features an
airport history exhibit.

L O N G T I M E G O L E T A R E S I D E N T Karen
Ramsdell has spent the better part of her adult life preserving local history, first through her storied career at the Santa
Barbara Municipal Airport and, more recently, through her
work with the Goleta Valley Historical Society.

"Preserving our history-reflected in its architecture,
archaeological sites, structures and oral histories - tells the
story of the culture, social conditions, economics and politics of the time (and) are part of our collective memory and
serve as a bridge to the next generation," she said.

Ramsdell retired as airport director in 2013, after serving
the City of Santa Barbara in some capacity for 37 years-26
of those at the airport.

Ramsdell joined the Goleta Valley Historical Society board
in 2010, serving as the nonprofit organization's president
from 2013-2016, and was part of its Rancho La Patera
Restoration Capital Campaign Committee.

She said she never planned a career in the aviation world
when she graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a history
degree. However, life circumstances led Ramsdell into what
she calls an "unexpected, challenging and rewarding career"
allowing her to experience opportunities she may not have
had at a larger airport.
"I was able to pursue several projects that preserved the airport's history, such as the World War II Memorial," she said.
The memorial pays tribute to 49 local aviators who lost their
lives during the war, as well as the squadrons that served at
the Santa Barbara Marine Corps Air Station.
Ramsdell also was able to save some of the airport's past
during the new terminal design project and rehabilitation
of the 1942 Ovington Terminal, which included an airport
history exhibit.

In 2017, Ramsdell was recognized as Goleta's Woman of
the Year, honoring all of the work she has done to support
nonprofits and preserve Goleta's history. "Goleta has an
incredibly rich history," she said. "For me, local history
gives context, depth and richness to the region's culture,
environment, customs, economy and politics. I wasn't born
and raised in Santa Barbara County, but knowing its history
provides a local connection and respect for its past."
Ramsdell is also an active member of the Santa Barbara
County Genealogical Society and serves as that organization's president.
She moved to Santa Barbara in 1966 to attend UCSB and has
lived in her current home in Goleta for 32 years, where she
raised her family.

B Y A P R I L C H A R LT O N , N O OZ H A W K S TA F F W R I T E R

GOLETA MAGAZINE

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Goleta Magazine 2018