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SLU Receives Aircraft Donation from Estate of Alum David Bottom

Saint Louis University will benefit from a donation from the estate of 1978 Parks College graduate David “Davey” L. Bottom. In addition to a monetary gift, Bottom also gifted a Cessna 182 aircraft to Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology. 

David Bottoms

The estate of 1978 SLU alumni David Bottom has donated a plane to the University. Submitted photo. 

Born in Chicago, Bottom attended Notre Dame College Prep in Niles, Illinois before enrolling at SLU’s Parks College. Bottom knew early in life that he wanted to be a pilot and SLU helped him turn that passion into a long and prosperous career in aviation.  

Upon graduating from Parks, Bottom flew for Rio Air and Evergreen International. He was then hired in the first wave of pilots for UPS. He was based in Louisville, Kentucky, but he made his home in the suburbs of Austin, Texas. He spent his 30-year career at UPS flying DC8 and MD11 aircraft. 

In his career, Bottom traveled the world. 

The Department of Aviation Science at SLU is grateful to Bottom for his generous gifts. The Cessna aircraft will be used as a research platform for Stephen Belt, Ph.D., associate professor of aviation science, and Gajapriya Tamilselvan, Ph.D., assistant professor of aviation science. .  

“This gift will allow our faculty to have access to an aircraft that will advance their research. We are thrilled that Mr. Bottom had such wonderful memories of his time at Parks College and was so generous to us in his estate. We hope that the work we do will continue to honor his incredible legacy,” said Steve Magoc, chair of the Department of Aviation Science.