BWI Marshall Airport in 2025 with the modern terminal and control tower in the background (MDOT).
As travelers head out for the busy Thanksgiving weekend, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport stands ready – just as it has for 75 years.
Long before cell phones and ride shares, the airport – then called Friendship International – broke ground in 1947. President Harry S. Truman officially dedicated the airport on June 24, 1950, saying it “exemplifies the spirit of growth and confidence with which our country faces the future.”
Newly uncovered slides from the BWI Marshal archives show those early days: rolling fields, heavy equipment shaping runways and workers raising the first control tower – the foundation of what would become one of the nation’s most convenient and travel-friendly airports. See some of these rare images below for a glimpse into how it all began.
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- The fields at the site of Friendship International prior to construction in 1947.
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- Workers clear land during construction of Friendship International between 1947 and 1950.
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- Work on a water line during the airport construction between 1947 and 1950.
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- Aerial view of the runways under construction between 1947 and 1950.
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- President Harry S. Truman delivers remarks at the dedication of Friendship International Airport on June 24, 1950.
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- Workers build Pier D at BWI Marshall airport.
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- Construction underway during an expansion of BWI Marshall Airport.
From its humble beginnings to today’s holiday travel hub, BWI Marshall continues to bring people together. Visit the airport’s 75th Anniversary website to see more historic photos, learn more about upcoming events and submit your own items for the time capsule.
Christopher Berinato is a digital media manager at the Maryland Department of Transportation.