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Doolittle Raid Mural

Artist: Ackerman, Frank

Object Date: 1974

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Imperial Dims: Overall: 96 x 408 in.

Department(s): Military and Veterans Affairs

Supervisorial District: 1

About the Artwork:

When the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs renovated the lower level of Patriotic Hall in 1974 a new dining area was created and named after General James “Jimmy” Doolittle. General Doolittle was the leader of the famous 1942 Doolittle Raid over Tokyo, the first U.S. air raid against Japan. The raid proved that the U.S. could invade Japanese airspace and greatly boosted morale after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Doolittle Room contains a mural by Frank Ackerman depicting the Doolittle Raid’s Mitchell B-25 bombers taking off from the USS Hornet as they begin their mission. The mural is based on several famous photographs taken by military personnel on the morning of the raid. The artwork was dedicated along with the Doolittle Room in 1974.

About the Artist:

Frank Ackerman (1933-1986) was a prominent watercolor artist who attended the Chouinard Art Institute and was President of the National Watercolor Society in the early 1970s. His designs have been exhibited at many galleries and museums including the Legion of Honor in San Francisco and the National Academy of Design, New York. Ackerman joined LA County’s Graphic Arts Department after working as a County architectural draftsman and illustrator. He headed the County Graphics Department between 1973 and 1980 and then became the Chief of Museum Exhibit Services at the Museum of Natural History. Ackerman also traveled to the South Pole as an official Navy artist in the 1960s.