Williams Aviation Endowment Salutes Family Tradition
As a young man growing up in Seminole, Oklahoma, Virgil Williams was absolutely
fascinated with flying. With his family's home conveniently located near the local airport,
young Virgil would spend every waking moment watching planes land and take off,
sweeping the hangar floors, washing aircraft and taking his pay in flying lessons.
Virgil's intense interest in flying was rewarded on January 4, 1951 when, at the age of 16,
he was granted the opportunity to make his first solo flight. Fifty-six years later, Virgil's
grandson Austin Avery performed the same feat on his 16th birthday, and in between those
two occasions Williams' children, Mark, Scott and Kim (Austin's mother) also made their first
solo flights on they day they turned 16. Virgil's love of flight has spanned his entire
professional career and beyond. He spent 35 years as chief pilot director of aviation for
The Upjohn Company, and after retirement he spent a decade as a pilot for golfing great
Jack Nicklaus. Today, Virgil remains active as a volunteer airport manager for the Plainwell
(Mich.) Municipal Airport.
Virgil's legacy in aviation will continue in perpetuity. He and his wife recently established the
Virgil and Maurine Williams Family Aviation Endowed Scholarship, which benefits students
in the WMU College of Aviation.
Williams first became aware of WMU's aviation program when it sent internship
students to work with him at Upjohn, and his interest in the College has further blossomed
in recent years.
Williams, who has received the prestigious Wright Brothers "Master Pilot" Award from the
Federal Aviation Administration in recognition of 50 years of safe flying, admires the WMU
aviation program for the practical training opportunities it offers, most significantly the
College's Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) simulator. Noting that CRJs are popular commercial
aircraft in the Midwest, Williams believes learning experiences like these are invaluable
because they make WMU graduates highly employable.
"Aviation has been a great career for me, and obviously it has been important to my family
as well," Williams said. "We are impressed with WMU's aviation program, so the scholarship
just seemed like a great opportunity."
From left: Scott Williams, Austin Avery, Kim Avery
and Mark Williams. Austin is Kim's son. Scott,
Kim and Mark are the children of Virgil and Maurine Williams.
Austin is their grandchild.
All four made their first solo aerial flight on their 16th birthday.
Virgil Williams (right) performs
the "shirt-tail cutting" ritual after
his grandson, Austin Avery, makes
his first solo flight.