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Embry-Riddle Mourns Death of Gen. Bill Spruance, Trustee and Friend
Daytona Beach, FL, January 20, 2011
Brig. Gen. Bill Spruance
With the death of Brigadier Gen. William “Bill” Spruance last Saturday, Jan. 15, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has lost an irreplaceable friend and supporter.
For decades, Gen. Spruance served as a trusted adviser and guiding hand in the university’s development. He was chairman of the board of trustees from 1972 until 1987, when he was named chairman emeritus. He also served on the advisory committee of Embry-Riddle’s Center for Aerospace Education.
“General Bill Spruance was a true friend of our university,” said John P. Johnson, president of Embry-Riddle. “His influence on the development of Embry-Riddle was substantial. As a long-term member and chairman of our board of trustees, he touched the lives of our faculty, staff, and students in ways that strengthened us. His strong advocacy and support for our Air Force ROTC program certainly contributed to its rise as one of the best in the nation. Bill was one of the most patriotic individuals I have ever known. He will always have a special place as a member of the Embry-Riddle family. We will miss him.”
After graduating from Princeton University in 1939, Spruance was commissioned in the Army Air Corps where he worked for Gen. George Patton. During World War II, he flew 362 missions while flying the “Hump” in the China-Burma-India Theater. In 1946, he became a founding member of the Delaware Air National Guard.
After surviving a near-fatal jet airplane crash in 1961, Gen. Spruance committed himself to educating others about surviving serious crashes, delivering more than 3,000 speeches about flight safety and crash survival worldwide to military pilots.
He served on the governing board of the Air Force Association for 30 years and for more than 50 years as a member of the National Guard Association, including a position on the board of directors, National Guard Trust Insurance, and the National Educational Foundation. He was a lifetime member of several pilot organizations including the Daedalians, Quiet Birdmen, Red River Valley Fighter Pilots, and Hump Association.
Gen. Spruance is survived by two sons, William (Embry-Riddle, 1969) and Thomas, and four grandchildren, Elizabeth, Nicole, Chelsea, and Preston. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Air Force Association, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and the National Guard Educational Foundation. At Gen. Spruance’s request, no formal services will be held.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv.
