Col. Melvin E. Gillette - Architect of Military Pictorial Service

Army Col. Melvin E. Gillette, (right) is considered the “architect of Military Pictorial Service”. Gillette organized and directed Fort Monmouth’s first training Film Field Unit in 1937 and the first Training Film Production Laboratory in 1940. When the laboratory was moved to Long Island City in 1942 and was incorporated into the new Signal Corps Photographic Center (SCPC), headquartered in Long Island City, New York. Col. Gillette served as SCPC's first commanding officer.

Text of Col. Gillette's Citation for the Legion of Merit

Melvin E. Gillette, Colonel, Signal Corps, Signal Section Headquarters Fifth Army, for exceptional meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service in Italy from 8 October 1943 to 5 June 1944. In connection with the planning for and the establishment of an effective photographic system to cover the Allied operations in Italy, Colonel Gillette, organized a Photographic Division within the Signal Section, Headquarters, Fifth Army and was responsible for the administrative organization of the supporting units and for the supervision and coordination of all the photographic services in Fifth Army. Through his experience with the Army Pictorial Service and his foresight, tact and industry, photographic service was established on a firm foundation whereby regular missions of providing news pictures for release to the public and official pictorial war records were provided. His filming of special motion picture sequences and rapid distribution of photographic news events to the United States was a tribute to Colonel Gillette’s brilliance in the field of photography and organization. Entered service from Des Moines, Iowa. September 9, 1944.

GILLETTE served as the Army pictorial representative on Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Allied Headquarters staff in North Africa and as photographic officer with the Fifth Army in Italy under Gen. Mark Clark. He was decorated with the Legion of Merit for his service with the Fifth Army for “planning and establishing an effective photographic system to cover the Allied operations in Italy.”  

On Jan. 2, 1948, Col. Lloyd Parsons, Signal Officer, Headquarters, Sixth Army at the Presidio of San Francisco wrote to Mrs. Melvin Gillette requesting permission to dedicate the new Sixth Army Pictorial Center as the "Gillette Pictorial Center" in honor of her late husband. Gen. Mark Clark approved the proposal pending Mrs. Gillette's concurrence.

In 1948, Building 603, left, the Pictorial Center of the Presidio, San Francisco was dedicated in Col. Melvin Gillette's memory and remained named Gillette Pictorial Center until the Presidio of San Francisco was closed by the U.S. Army.

Colonel Melvin Gillette is buried beside his wife Ruth in Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Mrs. Gillette passed away on Feb. 17, 1962.

Building 603 - The original blueprints reviewed by Colonel Gillette remain on file at the former Presidio. Copies of the ground and upper floor reveal a state of the art photographic facility for its time.

Bldg. 603 is currently in use by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) as an engineering office for the reconstruction of Doyle Drive. A colorful diorama of the Doyle Drive construction projects greets visitors as they enter. To the left of the entrance, a temporary wall bears a Caltrans seal. The authors believe this is where the original Gillette Pictorial Center plaque was displayed.