Little reliable material has yet been found about Schmoll’s childhood, schooling, military experience, first parachute jump, or the circumstances by which he entered the sport.
What can be established is that he was involved in organized civilian parachuting by June 1960, when he was 27 years old.
The Parachute Club of America’s Parachutist, Volume 1, Number 6, published a nationwide club roster containing:
Los Angeles Sky Divers — Harry Schmoll — 6947 Sedan Avenue — Canoga Park, California.1
This is a valuable record because it is contemporaneous and organizational rather than retrospective.
Civilian sport parachuting was still young. Military parachutes and practices remained highly influential, surplus round canopies were common, and jumpers and riggers routinely adapted existing equipment for new civilian uses. The sport’s formal rules, licensing structures, relative-work techniques, and equipment industry were all still developing.
Against that background, appearing as a club’s published national contact is meaningful. It demonstrates that Schmoll was not simply an occasional jumper but was involved in the organizational infrastructure of the emerging sport.
What the 1960 directory does—and does not—prove
The source supports describing Schmoll as the published contact, representative, and likely organizer of Los Angeles Sky Divers.
It does not establish that he was:
- president;
- owner;
- founder;
- chief instructor;
- drop-zone operator; or
- holder of any particular Parachute Club of America rating.
Those remain open research questions.
References
- 1 Parachutist, Vol. 1, No. 6, Parachute Club of America, June 1960. The club directory lists “Los Angeles Sky Divers. Harry Schmoll. 6947 Sedan Avenue. Canoga Park, California.” Historical scan: manifestmaster.com/parachutist/1960%20Series%202%20V1-6%20J… ↩