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Note: This release is embargoed until 4 p.m. today.
LAWRENCE -- A $2 million pledge from a retired Fortune 1000 executive and his wife will help remodel and expand the facilities of the University of Kansas flight test complex housed at the Lawrence Municipal Airport, KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway announced today.
The pledge to the Kansas University Endowment Association from Walter and Jayne Garrison of Rose Tree, Pa., will support the Department of Aerospace Engineering complex at the airport. Half of their pledge will allow the department to renovate, furnish and equip the upper floor of the department's hangar; remodel the building's facade; and purchase a new fully equipped flight test aircraft. The hangar includes bays for the program's two existing flight test aircraft, a classroom, offices, and machine and electrical shops.
The remaining $1 million will establish an endowed fund to maintain the complex's facilities.
"Walt Garrison is representative of the many outstanding graduates of KU's aerospace engineering program," Hemenway said. "This generous gift will provide aerospace engineering students with the best resources for hands-on learning, helping them develop into the next generation of leaders in the field."
School of Engineering Dean Stuart R. Bell thanked the Garrisons.
"The School of Engineering is deeply appreciative of the Garrisons' gift," said Bell. "The gift will have a perpetual impact on our students and faculty through establishment of the facility and through the lasting message that this gift communicates."
Walt, aerospace engineering '48 and master's aerospace engineering '50, is the retired chair, president and CEO of CDI Corp., an engineering and technology outsourcing company headquartered in Philadelphia.
"I feel my outstanding KU technical education instilled in me a committed belief in lifelong learning," he said. "Jayne and I are delighted to be able to make this commitment. I credit my education as a student in the aerospace department at KU as enabling me to gain successes I never dreamed were possible."
The Garrisons' pledge will provide additional space for students and researchers who design, build and test flight equipment in the department's flight test center. KU's flight test facility is the only research center of its kind in the upper Great Plains region and is one of fewer than 10 at universities nationwide.
David Downing, KU professor of aerospace engineering, said flight testing experiences are invaluable for future aerospace engineers.
"Flight testing enhances a young engineer's training in aerodynamics, flight dynamics, propulsion and structures," Downing said. "Most of a student's education is done with paper and pencil or computers. The chance to deal with real hardware -- to actually design, build and test equipment that doesn't always work -- is a major enhancement."
Flight testing also offers students the chance to plan and manage projects, which helps them understand the effects of variables such as weather and scheduling. Whether they choose a career in flight testing or another specialization, the flight testing program helps students become more effective engineers, Downing said.
Walt began his career as a stress engineer on the B-52 bomber at Boeing Co. in Seattle. He joined CDI in 1956 as chief engineer and became chair, president and chief executive officer in 1961. He served in those capacities until his retirement in 1997. By then, CDI employed 33,000 people, including 14,000 engineers, CAD designers and support staff, plus 4,000 programmers and other information technology professionals. Since his retirement, he has continued to serve as board chair.
Jayne is a retired corporate interior designer. She said she and her husband enjoy supporting the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology, an associate degree-granting college Walt founded in 1953, participating in philanthropic activities, playing golf, traveling and "parenting and grandparenting" their seven children and 16 grandchildren.
The Garrisons' pledge counts toward the $500 million goal of KU First: Invest in Excellence, the largest fund-raising campaign in KU history. KU Endowment is conducting KU First on behalf of KU through 2004 to raise funds for scholarships, fellowships, professorships, capital projects and program support. KU Endowment is an independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fund-raising and fund-management organization for KU.
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