Mr. James T. DaRosa

Mr. Edmund Anthony Tony DaRosa, or Mr. D, as he was fondly referred to by his students, was the founding Chairman of the Aviation Technology Department at SIU in 1964. He was the driving force that led to the donation of some $2.7 million in equipment to permit the new department to meet the stringent accreditation standards imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for aviation mechanic schools.