This article has been posted with written permission from Kathy L. Tollefson, Associate Editor, Arches Magazine.
Edward Horne Jr. ’70
University of Puget Sound/Arches Magazine
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT— LIFETIME
Presented to alumni who have gained regional, national, or international recognition for professional achievements that reflect positively on Puget Sound and the Alumni Association.
Edward Horne has flown all over the world during more than 40 years as a pilot and now is also working hard to pave the way for young African Americans to pursue careers in aviation.
Edward was born in Japan, where his father was stationed with the Army after World War II. The family also lived in Germany before Edward’s dad was transferred to Fort Lewis in 1957. His folks settled in Tacoma after his father retired from the service.
Edward attended Stadium High School and chose Puget Sound because of its Air Force ROTC program. He received academic and athletic scholarships, playing basketball for the Loggers for four years.
After graduation Edward was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. He served on active duty for six years and in the reserves for another 17. He flew commercially for General Motors, TWA, Eastern Air Lines, Japan Airlines, and that “other” UPS.
Edward was the first African-American pilot for Japan Airlines and the first non-Japanese pilot to make captain with the carrier. Fewer than 2 percent of the commercial pilots in the U.S. are black, but Edward is working to help improve diversity in the aerospace industry. He has been a member of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals since 1979.
“We wanted to collectively come together and make the commercial aviation industry more accessible to young, black Americans,” Edward says. OBAP visits career fairs and does a variety of outreach activities.
Edward works with OBAP’s Aviation Career Experience Camps and funds the Edward L. Horne Jr. Scholarship, which gives $2,500 annually to help a student get education or licensing.
Though Edward’s email address includes the numbers “7-4-7,” it’s another aircraft that he remembers most fondly. “If I put my whole career in one basket, my favorite airplane definitely is the C-130,” he says. “It’s the oldest airplane in production, and they use that aircraft for so many different roles throughout the world. It’s just a fun airplane to fly.”
Edward moved to Louisville to work for United Parcel Service, and still calls Kentucky home. He retired in August 2013.
“As I look back on my work career and my time in the military it’s been a great ride, but I’m thoroughly enjoying being retired,” Edward says. He is an avid golfer and plans to attend the U.S. Open, which will be held at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place the week after the Puget Sound Summer Reunion in June. He’s a fan of college basketball and has season tickets for University of Louisville games. Back in April Edward did the 8.1-mile Great Aloha Run, an event he participated in every year when he lived in Honolulu while flying for Japan Airlines. He has been a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters for more than 40 years.
Edward served on the UPS National Alumni Board and is a founding member of the Alumni Council, on which he is currently working with a group of alumni tolaunch the African American Alumni Group. He is also a class correspondent for the Class of 1970.