Indiana State University Newsroom

Indiana State University trustee Cynthia Powers and her husband Mamon have given $150,000 in honor of alumnus and Tuskegee Airman Quentin P. Smith, Sr., who was a First Lieutenant among the 101 Black officers arrested for challenging segregation at an Indiana airfield during World War II.Thurgood Marshall, who would become the first Black Supreme Court justice, won the officers’ release. Years later, Smith received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. The protest at Freeman Field in Seymour is credited as a major factor in President Harry Truman officially integrating the U.S. Armed forces in 1948.The gift establishes the Quentin P. Smith, Sr., Endowed Aviation Scholarship. ISU’s Board of Trustees on Friday approved the naming of the Quentin P. Smith, Sr., Observation Deck at the ISU Flight Academy at the Terre Haute Regional Airport.“It is our goal to exemplify the lessons we learned from the life and legacy of Quentin Smith, Sr., and continue to ‘pay it forward,’” Cynthia Powers said. “Hopefully, this will inspire others to join us and further endow this scholarship or create others so that here at ISU we can provide not just one but many scholarship funds for students in our Aviation Technology program.”Said Quentin Smith, Jr.: “Like my father, who didn’t initially embrace being a pilot, I hope that students who benefit from the endowment will recognize that aviation can be an honorable and beneficial career pursuit whether it is in the military or industry.”  Quentin P. Smith, Sr., received Indiana State University's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012. He passed away in 2013 at age 94.“We are extremely grateful for the generosity of Cynthia and Mamon Powers to forever connect Quentin Smith with Indiana State University and our aviation program,” ISU President Dr. Deborah J. Curtis said. “He made historic contributions to our state and nation and we are proud to further honor his legacy.” Smith graduated from ISU in 1940 with a degree in social studies education. He served as a pilot and flight instructor during World War II.Following his military service, Smith spent five decades as a guidance counselor and administrator in the Gary Community School Corporation. He served on the Gary City Council and was president of the Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority Board.“I am thankful that we at the College of Technology get to be a part of bringing Mr. Smith’s story to future generations at Indiana State,” said Nesli Alp, Dean of the College of Technology. “In learning about his dedication to country and community, our students will see greater possibilities for their lives as leaders, aviators, and educators.”Said Andrea Angel, Vice President of University Advancement and CEO of the ISU Foundation: “We are proud to lift up Quentin’s amazing story to inspire generations of Sycamores to follow in his footsteps. As a part of Cynthia and Mamon Powers’ philanthropic leadership, they will help inspire others to support the scholarship during Give to Blue Day.”

In other actions, the board:

--Approved changes in academic program and laboratory course-specific fees.

--Approved housing and dining rates for 2022-23.

--Approved changes in university retirement policy.

--Approved a new undergraduate academic program in Leadership and Professional Development.

--Passed a resolution honoring Teresa Exline, who's retiring after 34 years with the university, most recently as the President's Chief of Staff.