The faculty and staff of Purdue’s School of Aviation Technology unveiled the newly dedicated William "Will" T. Goshorn bench in the Niswonger Aviation Technology Building at the Purdue University Airport on April 22.
Goshorn, an AT ’98 graduate, had two great loves: Purdue University and flying. After his passing, his family and friends received donations from Goshorn’s memorial service to commission the custom bench.
The dedication welcomed Goshorn’s family, friends, faculty and classmates. John Mott, interim head of the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, lead the celebration with a reading of “High Flight,” the world-famous aviation poem by John Gillespie, Jr.:
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, --and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark or even eagle flew --
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
The bench honoring Goshorn is located in the atrium of the Niswonger Aviation Technology Building and will serve as a memorial of his spirit and legacy for years to come.
Niswonger Hall is home to the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. The School is recognized worldwide as a leader in aviation education. Take a virtual tour of the school, including Flight Operations, the Simulator Building, Terminal Building, Laboratories and Research Centers, and the Niswonger Aviation Technology Building.