Timeline
1950
Questar Corporation is chartered in the State of Pennsylvania (April 3).[1] See details.
Marguerite Braymer becomes secretary and treasurer for Questar Corporation.[2] See details.
1952
Cave Optical Company begins making primary mirrors for Questar.[3] See details.
1954
Cave Optical Company makes four meniscus corrector lenses (April 20).[4] See details.
1955
Questar moves to its current location on U.S. Highway 202 just outside of New Hope.[5] See details.
1956
Questar and Cave Optical Company agree to terminate their manufacturing relationship (March 30).[6] See details.
J.R. Cumberland Optical begins working with Questar by refiguring optics sets made by other manufacturers.[7] See details.
1958
J.R. Cumberland Optical makes the first complete optics set for Questar (June).[8] See details.
Questar Corporation has three employees.[9] See details.
1960
Questar announces that it is a Nikon franchised dealer (September).[10] See details.
1963
Questar delivers “Special 63” to a thirteen-year-old boy (December).[11] See details.
1962 to 1964
A Questar tours with a worldwide exhibit entitled World Science and the U.S.A., which was sponsored by the United States Information Agency.[12] See details.
1965
Lawrence Braymer wins the Master Design Award from Product Engineering magazine (May 19).[13] See details.
1966
Marguerite Braymer becomes president of Questar Corporation (early 1966).[14] See details.
1967
Questar makes an appearance at the the world exposition in Montreal.[15] See details.
1968
Questar appears at the meeting of the American Institute in Philadelphia (October).[16] See details.
The U.S. federal government includes Questar in its Confluence, U.S.A. exhibit at Hemisfare ’68 in San Antonio, Texas.[17] See details.
1969
Walter Dorwin Teague chooses the Questar telescope as part of an exhibit entitled Designed for Use at the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida.[18] See details.
Late 1960s or early 1970s
Robert Schwenk takes over much of Questar’s machining operations from Gerald Fegley; he would remain in that role for the next three decades.[19] See details.
1972
The George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York, adds Duplex #2-DP-5316-BB, which was a gift to the organization from Questar Corporation, to its permanent collection.[20] See details.
1972 and 1973
A Questar tours with a worldwide exhibit entitled Outdoor Recreation—U.S.A., an event sponsored by the United States Information Agency.[21] See details.
1975
Questar makes an appearance at the International Ocean Exposition in Okinawa, Japan.[22] See details.
1976
Douglas Knight becomes president of Questar Corporation.[23] See details.
1978
Jim Perkins is hired at Questar Corporation (May).[24] See details.
1980
Marguerite Braymer forms the Questar Library of Science and Art.[25] See details.
1985
Marguerite Braymer receives the Business Achievement Award from the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce.[26] See details.
1989
Photonics Excellence awards Questar for its QM-200 long distance microscope as an innovative product.[27]
1992
Questar receives the R&D Award for its QRMS II system.[28]
1995
Questar moves to reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy (September 13).[29] See details.
1996
Douglas Knight assumes ownership of Questar Corporation (late 1996).[30] See details.
1997
Questar emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy (summer 1997).[31] See details.
2001
Earlene Austin announces the purchase of Questar Corporation by Donald Bandurick (July 16).[32] See details.
2024
Jim Reichert and Jim Perkins, two long-time employees of the company, retire from Questar Corporation (spring 2024).[33]
Notes
1 Dun and Bradstreet, report for Questar Corporation, March 25, 1958, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/Fred%20K.%20Leisch%20Questar%20/, accessed October 14, 2019.
2 Contemporary Authors: A Bio-bibliographical Guide to Current Writers in Fiction, General Nonfiction, Poetry, Journalism, Drama, Motion Pictures, Television and Other Fields (Gale Research Company, 1969), 307, https://archive.org/details/contemporaryauth5-8gale/page/307/mode/1up, accessed June 3, 2022; Foremost Women in Communications: A Biographical Reference Work on Accomplished Women in Broadcasting, Publishing, Advertising, Public Relations, and Allied Professions (New York: Foremost Americans Publishing Corporation, 1970), 75, https://archive.org/details/foremostwomeninc0000unse/page/75/mode/1up, accessed June 3, 2022; Who’s Who in America, 1992-1993 (New Providence: Marquis Who’s Who, 1992), volume 1, 392, https://archive.org/details/isbn_0837901480_1/page/392/mode/1up, accessed June 3, 2022; Ralph Foss, “Lawrence E Braymer” (unpublished manuscript, June 11, 2006, revised June 26, 2006), typescript, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/FAQ/, accessed October 15, 2019.
3 Jim Perkins, “Questar Serial Number Systems” (unpublished manuscript, August 20, 2020), typescript.
4 Jim Perkins, “Questar Serial Number Systems” (unpublished manuscript, August 20, 2020), typescript.
5 Charles Shaw, “Larry Braymer: ‘In Quest of the Stars,’” New Hope Gazette, March 14, 1985, 32, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/FAQ/, accessed October 15, 2019.
6 Jim Perkins, “Questar Serial Number Systems” (unpublished manuscript, August 20, 2020), typescript.
7 Stewart Squires, Alt-Telescopes-Questar Majordomo list message, March 17, 1999, digest 345, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/Alt-Telescopes-Questar%20Digests/, accessed October 14, 2019.
8 Stewart Squires, Alt-Telescopes-Questar Majordomo list message, March 17, 1999, digest 345, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/Alt-Telescopes-Questar%20Digests/, accessed October 14, 2019.
9 Dun and Bradstreet, report for Questar Corporation, March 25, 1958, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/Fred%20K.%20Leisch%20Questar%20/, accessed October 14, 2019.
10 Questar Corporation, advertisement, Sky and Telescope, September 1960, 151.
11 Todd Wilk Estroff, online forum posting, Questar Users Group, January 10, 2004, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/conversations/messages/7375, accessed November 3, 2019.
12 Questar Corporation, “On the Problem of Choosing a Telescope,” 1973.
13 Questar Corporation, advertisement, Sky and Telescope, December 1965, inside front cover; Questar Corporation, advertisement, Scientific American, December 1965, 83.
14 Contemporary Authors: A Bio-bibliographical Guide to Current Writers in Fiction, General Nonfiction, Poetry, Journalism, Drama, Motion Pictures, Television and Other Fields (Gale Research Company, 1969), 307, https://archive.org/details/contemporaryauth5-8gale/page/307/mode/1up, accessed June 3, 2022; Who’s Who in America, 1992-1993 (New Providence: Marquis Who’s Who, 1992), volume 1, 392, https://archive.org/details/isbn_0837901480_1/page/392/mode/1up, accessed June 3, 2022; Ralph Foss, “Lawrence E Braymer” (unpublished manuscript, June 11, 2006, revised June 26, 2006), typescript, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/FAQ/, accessed October 15, 2019.
15 Questar Corporation, advertisement, Sky and Telescope, September 1967, inside front cover.
16 Questar Corporation, advertisement, Sky and Telescope, October 1968, inside front cover; Questar Corporation, advertisement, Scientific American, October 1968, 59.
17 Questar Corporation, “On the Problem of Choosing a Telescope,” 1973.
18 Questar Corporation, “On the Problem of Choosing a Telescope,” 1973.
19 Jim Perkins, email message to author, November 30, 2020.
20 Rudolph Kingslake, “New Acquisitions: The Questar Telescope,” Journal of Photography and Motion Pictures 15, no. 4 (1972): 17-18, https://archive.org/details/sim_image_1972-12_15_4/mode/1up, accessed December 3, 2021; Questar Corporation, “On the Problem of Choosing a Telescope,” 1973; “Questar 3 1/2 in. CAT telescope,” George Eastman Museum, 2015, https://collections.eastman.org/objects/53953/questar-3-in-cat-telescope, accessed December 16, 2022.
21 Questar Corporation, “On the Problem of Choosing a Telescope,” 1973.
22 Questar Corporation, Questar booklet, 1977, 23.
23 Charles Shaw, “Larry Braymer: ‘In Quest of the Stars,’” New Hope Gazette, March 14, 1985, 32, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/FAQ/, accessed October 15, 2019.
24 Jim Perkins, email message to author, March 5, 2021.
25 Charles Shaw, “New Hope’s Questar: A Quiet Company,” New Hope Gazette, March 21, 1985, 14, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/FAQ/, accessed October 15, 2019; Who’s Who in America, 1992-1993 (New Providence: Marquis Who’s Who, 1992), volume 1, 392, https://archive.org/details/isbn_0837901480_1/page/392/mode/1up, accessed June 3, 2022; Herb Drill, “Marguerite Braymer, 85, Questar Corp. co-founder,” Philadelphia Inquirer, November 1, 1996, R4, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21814542/the_philadelphia_inquirer/, accessed October 8, 2019; Questar Corporation, “The Questar Library: A Marguerite Braymer Foundation,” n.d., http://www.questar-corp.com/popups/eventscenter.htm, accessed June 6, 2020.
26 Charles Shaw, “Larry Braymer: ‘In Quest of the Stars,’” New Hope Gazette, March 14, 1985, 3, 32, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/FAQ/, accessed MMMM DD, YYYY; Charles Shaw, “New Hope’s Questar: A Quiet Company,” New Hope Gazette, March 21, 1985, 3, 14, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/FAQ/, accessed MMMM DD, YYYY; Who’s Who in America, 1992-1993 (New Providence: Marquis Who’s Who, 1992), volume 1, 392, https://archive.org/details/isbn_0837901480_1/page/392/mode/1up, accessed June 3, 2022.
27 Jim Perkins, “Questar Serial Number Systems” (unpublished manuscript, August 20, 2020), typescript.
28 Jim Perkins, “Questar Serial Number Systems” (unpublished manuscript, August 20, 2020), typescript.
29 “Telescope Makers’ Misfortunes,” Sky and Telescope, March 1996, 14.
30 Questar Corporation, “Douglas Maitland Knight,” n.d., http://www.questarcorporation.com/dknight.htm, accessed August 12, 2019.
31 Barry Kawa, unpublished essay on Douglas Knight and Maurice Sweiss (unpublished manuscript, n.d.), typescript, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Questar/files/Questar%20Manuals/, accessed October 14, 2019.
32 “Questar News and Developments Page,” Company Seven, n.d., http://www.company7.com/questar/news.html, accessed November 6, 2019.
33 Online forum posting, Cloudy Nights, April 24, 2024, https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/920056-jim-reicherts-retirement/, accessed May 27, 2024; online forum posting, Cloudy Nights, May 3, 2024, https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/921080-jim-perkins-last-day-is-today/, accessed May 27, 2024.