It used to be that the only employment position for female airline employees was that of a flight attendant.  Aviation was a male-dominated industry where pilots were concerned.  But Katherine Reynolds, an Eastern Kentucky University aviation alumna, is among those changing that.  And, for Katherine, that’s happened because of the assistance of Wilma (Willi) J. Walker.  Dr. Walker, professor emeritus of geography and aviation at EKU, was one of the forces that enabled Katherine to graduate with an aviation degree and become a captain with Delta Airlines.   If there ever was a situation in which a program began from ground zero, it was the EKU aviation agenda.  When Dr. Walker was tapped to initiate the program and its curriculum, she started from scratch.  A budget had to be created, facilities had to be found, a curriculum had to be established, and students had to be recruited.  And, she was asked to do this while teaching full-time in the geography department.  It was accomplished in 1981-82 with a plethora of 18-20-hour days.  She carried the title of Coordinator of Aviation but was the only EKU tenured staff member.  Beginning with intensive research on an academic program, she came up with a full course of study, but it wasn’t until 1983 when that first course came to fruition.   It was a three-hour course devoted to private pilot ground/flight.  Willi added to her own credentials and became a ground instructor and worked with the Madison County Airport in establishing flight training activities.  She continued to work on an expanded curriculum, and that led to a university minor in aviation in 1984.  But that only whetted her appetite.  She pushed hard for a major in aviation and sought qualified instructors to teach additional courses.  She hired her first full-time instructor in 1988, added others, but all were part-time faculty who were qualified in professions related to aviation.  Another ten years was required to secure three full-time faculty members.  

In 1991, Willi’s tireless efforts saw EKU approve a major in aviation.  That made it the first and only four-year degree-granting aviation program in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  That led to some 25 declared majors, a number that now totals some 325, and a bachelor’s degree concentration in professional flight, aerospace management, or aerospace technology.  EKU alumni are currently employed in a variety of professional aviation positions ranging from administration to operational technicians to commercial pilots.  

As of 2019, the university’s aviation program totaled 330-plus alumni with an anticipated 45 graduating in spring 2020.  And the number of freshmen entering the program is nearing 100 per year.  Dr. Walker’s interest in aviation goes back to her youth.  As a youngster, she thought flying would be a wonderful way to make a living.  Growing up in Eastern Kentucky, she had never been on an airplane and knew no one who flew.  But the desire was there. While in high school, she had the audacity to write several airlines regarding opportunities to fly with them.  Those who responded noted they had no policy against women aviators, but suggested she try something else.  But that urge to fly remained.  In 1981, she persuaded Dr. Joseph Schwendeman – former naval aviator, former chair of geography, and current vice president at EKU – to be her flight instructor.  He also was instrumental in pursuing the need for an academic aviation program in Kentucky universities and was the initial ground/flight instructor for the program’s first course in the summer of 1983. Dr. Schwendeman, who had hired Dr. Walker as a geography professor in 1973, appointed her to head the new aviation program.  The new position was in addition to her full-time status in the geography department.  In addition to leading and developing the aviation program from 1983-2000, she continued to teach geography and added to her work schedule by becoming chair of the geography department from 1986-2000.  Perhaps the greatest tribute to Willi and her efforts is what is occurring now at EKU.  Dr. Walker’s dedication and persistence have opened a new era for aviation in Kentucky.  The academic program she has championed has brought employment and new careers to hundreds of young people.  And with it, those opportunities will continue to flourish.  Where women are concerned, she has been instrumental in opening the doors of aviation for them.  

One individual may have summed up Dr. Walker’s efforts best: “She’s made Amelia Earhart and Jacqueline Cochran proud.”