Kim, Lawrence and Jocelyn Fong

The SCC Luther Lee, Jr. Aeronautics Scholarship is named in honor and in memory of Luther Lee, Jr. As a boy, Luther Lee Jr. donned an aviator outfit to mark Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Paris. By age 20 he attained his C.A.A. license (now F.A.A.) and joined the Army Air Corps. He worked on the development and maintenance of fighter aircraft including C46, C47, B24, B25, B29, P40 and P51 the latter which were used to train Allied Force and American pilots, including Tuskegee Airmen.

In civilian life, he participated in the development of J85 jet engines used by Air Force Thunderbirds and tested the Piasecki tandem rotor helicopters. After earning his B.S. degree, he worked on General Electric engines and on NASA’s Gemini and Apollo rockets. Then he turned his sights to education and obtained an M.A. degree. He enthusiastically taught his beloved profession to Sacramento City College students for nearly 20 years.
Receiving both the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, named after the Wright brothers’ mechanic, and the Congressional Gold Medal, honoring Chinese commitment to the U.S.A., recognizes Luther’s lifetime in mechanics, aviation, engineering, aeronautics and aerospace. It is the hope that this scholarship will help students achieve in one or more of these fields as well.