Left to right: President Brian Sandoval ’86; Interim Vice President for University Advancement Patricia Richard ’89, ’92 M.A.; 2023 University Foundation Board Chair Ann Morgan ’75; George W. Gillemot Foundation trustees Bill Johnson ’81, Marie Gillemot and University Foundation Trustee Emeritus Thomas J. Hall; College of Engineering Dean Erick Jones and Executive Vice President and Provost Jeff Thompson at the signing of the George W. Gillemot Foundation’s historic gift on Oct. 31, 2023.
Rachel Jackson ’23
Left to right: Assistant Professor of Computer Science & Engineering Christos Papachristos, Gillemot Foundation Trustee Tom Hall ’65, Mechanical Engineering Chair and Founding Aerospace Program Director and Professor Petros Voulgaris, and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering Aditya Nair inside Papachristos’ lab. Chris Moran
The late George W. Gillemot ’00 (Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters) dreamed of a school of aviation and aerospace at the University and now, thanks to a historic $36 million gift from the George W. Gillemot Foundation, his dream is being realized with the establishment of the George W. Gillemot Department of Aerospace Engineering.
Inspired by his passion for aviation, Gillemot envisioned the program, which was funded by the largest cash gift in University history, as a catalyst for innovation, investigation, research, workforce development and economic renewal in Nevada.
Gillemot passed away in late 2022 at the age of 96 after an extraordinary life. He was a self-made man, a World War II veteran and an accomplished engineer. After retiring from a distinguished, highly influential career in the communications technology industry, where he developed and manufactured patent-level technologies for telephone communications companies worldwide, he continued working on projects he was passionate about in service of our community.
Anticipating Nevada’s need for a new industry to ensure our state’s continued growth and prosperity, Gillemot saw the expansion of the aeronautics industry as essential to future economic development in the Silver State. In his 2003 vision for an aerospace program, he wrote:
“There can be no doubt that the space frontier is going to be probed for many years to come. And that is going to take some very qualified engineers, along with many brave and well-educated space vehicle personnel. Who will train these people? Where will the expanding aerospace production factories be located? Why not all of that right here in northern Nevada?”
University Foundation Trustee Emeritus Thomas J. Hall ’65 (finance), George W. Gillemot Foundation trustee and Gillemot’s longtime business and personal adviser, counselor and attorney, said “George was an aviator, inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and dreamer, as well as a lifelong learner. He was ahead of his time.”
Meeting in 1984, Gillemot and Hall bonded over a shared interest in aviation — both were pilots — and dedication to bettering their communities. Gillemot and Hall’s professional skills balanced each other well over their nearly 40-year business relationship. “The reason I got along with George so well is I like to accomplish things, and he did too,” Hall said. Both Gillemot and Hall are recognized in Honor Court for their support of the University and the Gillemot Department of Aerospace Engineering will be the crowning jewel of their shared legacy.
The Fleischmann Planetarium’s George W. Gillemot Dome is getting a much-needed technology update. Soon to be outfitted with the latest cutting-edge LED technology, the planetarium will be able to produce exciting educational opportunities in service of the aerospace department and our surrounding community like never before. To ensure that all K-12 students have access to this essential and innovative resource for science education, the gift is also providing fee waivers and passes for students in local school districts to visit the planetarium for the next 10 years. Jeff Dow
Sadly, Gillemot died before he got to see his dream become a reality, but he foreshadowed it in his 2003 vision: “This is not a dream, it could happen soon; certainly, not in the too-distant future.”
The stars aligned in the not-so-distant future just as the University approaches its 150th anniversary and looks toward a gleaming future full of abundance and opportunity. “The University is humbled and honored to be a part of fulfilling the legacy of George W. Gillemot and his vision of preparing exceptional aerospace engineers to meet the needs of the growing aeronautics and aerospace industries,” University President Brian Sandoval ’86 (English) said.
Once approved by the Nevada System of Higher Education, the program will attract top-notch aerospace engineering faculty conducting leading-edge industry research as well as exceptional students ready to become leaders in the field. The first aerospace graduates are expected in three to five years.
“This record gift puts our College of Engineering in a position to lead and build a dynamic department that develops a new kind of aerospace industry in Nevada while supporting one of the college’s research pillars: Unmanned Vehicles — the New Space Frontier,” College of Engineering Dean Erick Jones said. “We will be producing exceptional students ready to be leaders in their fields, taught and trained by equally exceptional faculty who will be helping find solutions to substantial issues facing the aerospace industry through their research and innovation in the aerospace field.”
Exciting collaborations with national laboratories and other partners in higher education are also on the horizon with a goal to have students intern with companies like Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corporation and NASA.
Another provision of the gift will transform the visual experience in the Fleischmann Planetarium’s George W. Gillemot Dome. The projector-based video system used since the dome’s opening in 1963 will be replaced by state-of-the-art LED technology that illuminates the dome’s surface, creating vivid and spectacular displays.
“This gift is going to accelerate our national standing in the rapidly changing aerospace field and will ensure the planetarium remains at the center of some of the most meaningful academic research and community outreach for the University,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Jeff Thompson.
The Fleischmann Planetarium is an important nexus of science education for K-12 students; the gift will also provide 10,000 fee waivers and passes for local students to visit the planetarium each year for 10 years.
The Gillemot Foundation’s historic gift marks a turning point for the University and its impact will be monumental — allowing the University and the state as a whole to embark on a new chapter of history at the forefront of a rapidly growing industry.