Middle Georgia Technical College

Middle Georgia Tech Foundation Receives $125,000 Donation

Warner Robins - The Middle Georgia Technical College Foundation recently received an in-kind donation of a Huntington Jet Provost airplane valued at $125,000 from the estate of the Late Otha Dewitt Clemmer of Griffin. The plane will be used by Middle Georgia Technical College as an instructional tool for the Aerospace programs.

"We are very appreciative of this donation from the Clemmer estate," said Cheryl Stelk, director of Advancement at Middle Georgia Technical College and executive director for the MGTC Foundation. "We welcome the opportunity to use this plane for the advancement of our students, as well as our Foundation. We are grateful to the Clemmer family for considering us for this donation."

The Huntington Jet Provost is a two-seater plane made by the British Aircraft Corporation. During the 1950s and 1960s, Britain's Royal Air Force utilized this plane, which has become a popular jet for warbird enthusiasts today. The plane has a maximum speed of 440 miles per hour. Only around 500 of the planes were manufactured.

Upon the donation of the plane to the MGTC Foundation, the 1967 model was still deemed airworthy. Clemmer, who lost his battle with cancer in June, was an avid aviation enthusiast. He is described by friends as living life to the fullest and sharing his love of flying as an instructor, almost to the end.

Clemmer was a native of Memphis, Tenn. and joined the Army Air Corps in 1943. He served in the Memphis Air National Guard and saw active duty in the United States Air Force in the Korean War, for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After his service to his country, Clemmer was a Delta Air Lines Captain until his retirement in 1985. He continued to pursue his passion of flying after retirement as a crop duster, aviation mechanic, small town airport owner, ultralight pilot, private jet pilot, and flight instructor. He even learned to fly helicopters when he was in his 70s. He is survived by his wife Beverly and their three children, six grandchildren, and his sister, Pattie Sue Clemmer Jones.

The Aerospace programs at Middle Georgia Technical College include Aviation Maintenance Technology and Aircraft Structural Technology. Both programs offer a co-op program with Robins Air Force Base. In addition, students can gain the necessary skills to earn an Airframe and Powerplant (A & P) license, an essential tool for those wishing to gain employment in the aviation field.

The Middle Georgia Technical College Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the College and its students by supplementing available state resources with private funding to help further the College's mission of contributing to the economic and educational development of the community. All donations made to the MGTC Foundation are tax-deductible. For more information on the MGTC Foundation, call 478.988.6800, extension 7201 or email foundation@middlegatech.edu. Or, you can donate online at www.middlegatech.edu.

Otha Dewitt Clemmer

Huntington Jet Provost being unloaded at MGTC