Clarence E. Page Chair Community

Ken Carson, working through James Bierman, introduces freshmen to opportunities at Bizzel Library.

Talking to Cody. He's 4.o GPA graduate along with Wertheimer just behind Cody.

The OU School of Aviation Studies is moving to the college of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences this summer. I will be the Associate Director of Academics. We hope the transfer will go smoothly.

This is Sara Hoffman, one of my best students. We wish her the best.

These are the Spring 2022 Scholarship Winners. Dr. Babb is on the far left and Director Wydra is on the far right.

Carson's Leadership group watches the OKC Thunder clobber the Phoenix Suns.

April Williams asked students to come to the college event and applaud my Faculty Achievement Award. I appreciated their presence to share this award with me.

Great time at the Women in Aviation luncheon at AAR Corporation. Wally Funk was the featured speaker. She was her typically animated self. Everyone enjoyed the event. There were nearly 600 in attendance.

I am experimenting with teaching methods: getting away from tests being the determiner of achievement. These fine folks helped me create a new way to present a Capstone course. We created a company (fake) and these graduates were my executive committee. Back row left to right: Jacob (CFO), Ian (HR), Cole (UAS Manager), Hunter (Flight Academy Manager). Front row (left to right): Briana (Contract, Air Traffic Management), Elizabeth (Accountant), Sara (Transportation Solutions Manager), Cortlyn (COO). These folks were absolutely superb. We all learned a lot.

I below to the Dragon Lady Association (DLA) and the most recent newsletter indicated that Jim "Kip" Kippert and Hector Freese had passed. When I was the squadron commander at the 4402nd Reconnaissance Squadron (Provisional) at King Fahad Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lt. Col. Jim Kippert was working the command post back in California. He was a pain in the ass. He wanted to know every move I made, which isn't my style of being in command. I also resented that he wanted these reports at midnight or 1 a.m., because it was convenient for him. However, Jim was a U-2 brother and I am sad to find out he passed.

Last week I responded to a reminder that it was Stuart Popwell's birthday, so I sent him a "Happy Birthday" note. Penny, his wife, responded by telling me that "Stu" had passed a year before on his birthday. That made me feel sad. Stu had been an RF-4 recce pilot before coming to U-2s. We served together at Beale Air Force Base, CA and RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom. He was a funny guy with lots of great stories. He flew for the airlines for about 30 years before retiring.

Colonel Hector Freese was the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing Commander when I got to Beale Air Force Base in 1983. He told a joke with a punch line, "well, if you stick a broom up my ass I can sweep while I'm using my hands to help you." He wasn't very tall and used to stand on the table when telling his jokes. He was a U-2 brother and I am sad to learn of his passing.

As people pass away, and not very much older than I am, I realize that I won't be around forever. So today, as I work from a cabin near Stillwater, OK, I try to embrace the day and the beauty of my surroundings. God is good.