Ouzts honors fallen Clemson classmate

Published: June 10, 2011

CLEMSON – In 50 years, Francis Wayne Ouzts of Greenwood has never forgotten his college classmate and friend. Now, he is making sure others remember him, too. The Clemson Class of 1961 graduate has created the First Lt. Glenn Dalton Allen, Jr. Memorial Grant-in-Aid Endowment with a $25,000 gift.

The endowment was established by Ouzts in memory of Allen, also of the Class of ‘61, who was killed in a private aircraft crash on Dec. 31, 1965. The endowment will provide grants-in-aid to outstanding Air Force ROTC participants, recommended by leaders of the aerospace department in the College of Business and Behavioral Science at Clemson.

“We became friends almost from the start,” Ouzts said of his friendship with Allen. “Glenn was a very special person. He was and still is a very important part of my Clemson experience, before and after graduation.

“I’ll never forget his words after graduation – ‘Let’s always stay in touch and always stay close’ – and we did. It is especially meaningful to me that I have the opportunity and privilege of honoring my friend with an endowment to provide aid to a group that he was a part of at Clemson.”

Allen, a native of Hendersonville, N.C., graduated from Clemson with a mechanical engineering degree. He was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Tau Beta Pi, Air Force ROTC and the Arnold Air Society. He entered the United States Air Force in November 1961 and flew more than 60 missions over Vietnam. While stationed at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, he was a member of the 509th Fighter Interceptor Squadron.

After Allen returned to the United States in Aug. 1965, he was assigned to the Donaldson Center in Greenville as a test pilot for the F 102 Jet Fighter Aircraft. 

Ouzts’ gift is part of Clemson’s Will to Lead capital campaign, an effort to raise more than $600 million to support students and faculty.

The Clemson Class of ‘61 is celebrating its 50-year reunion at the university this weekend. 

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