Author’s night at Waterford Library

WATERFORD — Peter Leslie will give a presentation on his book, “Aviation's Quiet Pioneer: Pan American Flying Boats” at the Waterford Library on Wednesday, August 8 at 7 p.m.

The book tells the story of the 42-year Pan Am career of John Leslie, Pan Am’s first aeronautical engineer, compiled from his memoirs, technical papers, photos, documents and memorabilia.

When John Leslie, in charge of President Roosevelt’s 1943 top secret flight to the wartime Casablanca Conference in Africa to meet Prime Minister Churchill, named the presidential aircraft Clipper One, he started an American tradition. Additional information about the book may be found at http://panamsquietpioneer.com/Leslie/Home.html.

Peter Leslie, a 1958 honors graduate of Princeton University, lives in Waterford. He worked seven years with Citibank in Brazil, then joined a New York investment bank and traveled extensively working with government and corporate clients.

In 1972 he founded Leslie, Weinert & Co. Inc., an investment banking firm whose clients included governments, corporations, financial institutions, and the United Nations. Mr. Leslie's public and community service have included the National Commission on Responsibilities for Financing Postsecondary Education, the United States Commission on Improving the Effectiveness of the United Nations, the Committee to Study the Retirement System (The Monks Commission), the Maine Health Care Finance Commission, the Cape Elizabeth School Board, the Maine Audubon Society, the Lakes Environmental Association, the McWain Pond Association and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

He currently serves as Board Chair of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System.

This is one of a series of presentations by local authors at the Waterford Library. The next program in the series, on August 22, will feature mystery writer Judy Green of North Waterford.