The Bill Morris Advanced Flight Scholarship was established by his family and friends to give others a chance to do what he loved.
Bill Morris ’87 died 15 years ago when the helicopter he was piloting malfunctioned. His mother, Margaret Plum of Boston, Mass., thought it a fitting tribute to return to the place where her son spent so much time and loved so much—Florida Tech. She was one of several donors who attended the scholarship reception held in their honor Feb. 15. Morris loved flying and he loved training others to do the same. He graduated from Florida Tech with a bachelor’s in aviation management flight option, and then taught flying for the next four years. He left Florida Tech and was selected for officer’s training with the Air Force the following month when tragedy struck. He accomplished a lot in 26 years, but still had so much to offer. The Bill Morris Advanced Flight Scholarship was established by his family and friends to give others a chance to do what he loved.

Since 1992, Morris’ family and friends kept the scholarship going. Plum decided to reach out to Morris’ former students and classmates after receiving a letter from a scholarship recipient’s parents last year. The letter expressed gratitude for giving their son, Ryan Plumeau ’06, the opportunity to achieve his dream of flying. It just happened to arrive on the same day that Morris died 14 years earlier. “The letter was very moving. It gave me my answer that we should publicize the scholarship to keep it growing in order to offer it to more students,” Plum said. “I could not believe the letter was mere coincidence.

“He was tough on himself and expected the best of his students,” Plum said. “He shunned publicity. He preferred to be in the background—to be the wind beneath his students’ wings.” Plum considered these traits before she decided to publicize the scholarship last year. “I think this captures his spirit and he would be pleased to use his name for this effort.”

Plum got a chance to visit with Plumeau, a two-time recipient of the Bill Morris Advanced Flight Scholarship, at the scholarship reception. Plumeau graduated in December with a bachelor’s in aviation management flight option. He had already taken a commercial flying job in Houston, Texas, but returned to Florida Tech to meet Plum. She noted her son and Plumeau were both captains of the Falcon Flight Team. “For many of these fine people, this would not be possible without help,” Plum said. “It could be a turning point in their lives.”

Scholarships, such as this, are indispensable in helping Florida Tech students achieve their dreams. Generous contributions to the Golden Anniversary Campaign will help build these invaluable resources.