A champion for Northwest Florida State College, Dottie Blacker’s first gift nearly 21 years ago was a $100,000 “challenge” to encourage raising funds to build a visual arts center. Since that time, Dotty has provided nearly $800,000 in support for various programs at the College. From visual arts, to science development, to first responder training, circling back to the performing arts, Dotty’s generosity is evident, and visible in many cases, throughout NWFSC’s Niceville campus.
The impetus for her most recent gift of $40,000 to the Aviation Center of Excellence, located in Crestview, stems back to a passion she had in early adulthood. Having completed two-and-a-half years of college in Enid, Oklahoma, she excelled as a legal secretary but was tired of working hard to pay expenses on a seventy-five cent hourly wage. She discovered that American Airlines was hiring stewardess applicants and sought out an interview. She was hired at 20 years-old on the spot, just barely meeting the height requirement of 5’2”.
Stationed in Tulsa, she flew in DC-6s and DC-7s (pre-jet) round trip to New York and Los Angeles. There were usually 50 passengers on board who enjoyed big seats, plenty of legroom and ample space for luggage. Two stewardesses served free cocktails and full meals, complete with a pack of cigarettes. During her downtime, she spent as much time as possible observing the inner workings of the cockpit.
Her husband enlisted in the Air Force his final year of medical school and that, as she puts it, was the start of their great and unusual adventures. They both joined the Lackland AFB Aero Club and signed up for flying lessons. Dotty passed the written and flying FAA exams on her first try, earning her ticket (license) in record time. When the Aero Club celebrated its first female pilot, a San Antonio news affiliate sent a photographer to film her taking her husband for a ride. She and her husband enjoyed many more hours of flying together.
Dotty’s generous gift of $40,000 to the Aviation Center of Excellence is a way of celebrating her treasured memories and impacting the aerospace industry at the same time.
NWFSC’s Aviation Center of Excellence will serve as an incubator for aerospace and high-tech industry careers, where students have the opportunity to earn degrees in Professional Pilot Technology and Unmanned Vehicle Systems Operations (drones) along with industry-recognized credentials in Aviation Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics. The Aviation Center of Excellence is a public-private venture providing industrial lab space, hangars and classrooms to meet area training needs. Collaboratively with the Hsu Educational Foundation, the College is committed to inspiring and preparing a strong pipeline of students to seek and take advantage of these high-demand aviation training opportunities that lead to promising careers, a strong source of local workforce talent and a bright economic future for the region.
We encourage you to visit www.nwfsc.edu to learn more about our programs, or call 850-502-2895 to speak to one of our Student Success Navigators.
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