 The airport opened on December 10, 1948, in a grand ceremony.On June 30, 1950, the airport was officially renamed Merrill C. Meigs Field, named after Merrill C. Meigs, publisher of the "Chicago Herald and Examiner" and an aviation advocate.Various improvements took place over the years, including the 1952 opening of an air traffic control tower, the 1961 opening of a new terminal building (dedicated by Richard J. Daley), runway lengthening, and the late 1990s charting of two FAA instrument approaches allowing landings in poor weather conditions.