THOMAS, TOM A. FIRST GENERATION SCHOLARSHIP

Fall Scholarship This scholarship will be awarded to first generation college students. Tom A. Thomas, Jr. was a fighter pilot for the U.S. Air Force during WWII. While serving his country, he became the second pilot to make an unrehearsed catapult launch of his plane from a British Escort Carrier and the first to successfully land his plane in Casablanca. After shooting down his fifth German fighter, Thomas was captured in Sicily when he was hit by ground fire. After escaping the enemy, he went on to complete his tour of duty, earning several medals for his service. After retiring from the USAF in 1949, he went on to serve in the Air Force Reserve until 1988. Following his death in 1998, a gift from his estate created the Tom a Thomas Jr. Fund at the Oklahoma city Community Foundation that creates support for a number of charitable organizations and causes that were important to Mr. Thomas.