How You Can Support The Friends

We welcome your support and would be especially grateful for your help in:

• Acquiring significant artifacts and documents dealing with aeronautical achievements in conflict or peace. If you have such items or have an acquaintance who does, please contact us.
• Acquiring publicly releasable data for our graduate databases: Graduates Killed in Combat, Graduate Prisoners of War, Graduate Astronauts, Distinguished Graduates, and Graduate Recipients of the Jabara Award.
• Funding the immense work of conserving, cataloging, digitizing, and presenting collections online.

Patron Support

The Friends of the Air Force Academy Library relies on the continuing generous support from patrons to achieve its mission of enhancing the quality of the McDermott Library as an educational, research, scientific, and cultural institution.

The Friends continues to acquire collections of personal papers including records, diaries and photographs that are of special significance to the mission and history of the USAF and the Academy.

Past projects include the unique Stalag Luft III Exhibit and historical collection; the historical collections of the Eagle Squadrons of World War II; the historical collection of the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs); the History of the Air Force Academy collection; the Commemorative Program and supporting Honor Book; the Colonel Richard Gimbel Aeronautical History Collection, and the highly acclaimed Friends-published catalog of the Gimbel Collection, The Genesis of Flight.

The Friends acquire, primarily by donation, publications to be included in the McDermott Library holdings that capture and preserve the rich heritage and tradition of our Air Force and Air Force Academy.

A DVD was completed by The Friends in 2003 cataloging the entire SEA POW collection. Because of patron support, The Friends were able to co-publish a book in 2003 on the unique Academy Falconry program which vividly depicts the extraordinary story of the Academy’s unique performing mascot.

The Friends produced an extraordinary DVD depicting the history of the Academy in support of the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of the Air Force Academy. The DVD, entitled Expect Great Things, was released in 2004 and featured excerpts from oral history interviews with many of the key figuresin the history of the Academy.

As additional donations are received, The Friends wish to publish a comprehensive catalog and DVD which will reflect the richness of the archival collections that are housed within the Clark Special Collections Branch of the McDermott Library.

The Friends welcome your support, and the support of your family and friends, to continue its quality involvement in the McDermott Library.

Donate to the Friends

Download a PDF contribution form (Below, Left) for donations or support us through Paypal, using either the "Donate" button or the QR Code with your smart phone.

In–Kind Donations

The Friends also welcome gifts of rare books and artwork, maps, diaries, films, electronic media, personal papers, photographs, correspondence, reports, and other documents dealing with aeronautical and airpower themes. The Clark Special Collections of the Library contains a significant body of personal papers donated to the Academy by Air Force officers and civilians who were instrumental in the development of American air power. Over 1000 individual collections provide graphic insights from man’s early attempts to master flight through the evolution of military air power.

Cadets enrolled in history, English, and military science classes are given instruction regarding research and writing from primary source materials. Following this instruction, cadets compile research papers based upon documents and other artifacts within the collections. Our collections provide a unique opportunity to the cadets as research projects of this nature usually are only conducted at the graduate level. The collections also support historical monographs, articles, dissertations, and books by the Academy faculty and other air power historians.

If you are interested in making an in-kind donation of personal papers or other items, please contact the Friends with as much information as you are able to provide.

Gifts of Securities and Deferred Donations

In addition to gifts of cash, The Friends welcome deferred donations as well as gifts such as:

• Bequests in Wills
• Annuity Trusts
• Testamentary Trusts
• Securities
• Pooled Life Income Funds
• Life Insurance
• Charitable Remainder Unitrusts

We recommend that your attorney or estate advisor be consulted regarding any proposed deferred donations.

Please notify The Friends of any deferred donations.

Friends Honor Book Commemorative Program

The Friends offers a special opportunity for those who wish to honor individuals, organizations, or groups of individuals. For a donation of $50 or more, a handsome certificate will be placed in The Friends of the Air Force Academy Honor Book. The Honor Book is displayed in a prominent location on a handcrafted podium in the Clark Special Collections of the McDermott Library where it is readily accessible to cadets, faculty, and staff, as well as to visitors by special arrangement.

This is an ideal way to give special, permanent recognition to a classmate, fellow crewmembers, a friend, a family member, a team, or an organization of special importance to you. The honored need not be military or deceased to be commemorated with an Honor Book Certificate. To date, more than 1,200 individuals, units, and organizations have been commemorated (see the Honor Book Index below). Honorees include participants in virtually every American conflict as well as members of our community and the public, Academy faculty and staff spouses, USAFA cadets and graduates, personnel from other services, and family members and friends. Copies of typical Honor Book Certificates can be viewed below.

Please consider participating in our Commemorative Program by completing and submitting the Honor Book Application located at the bottom of this page. Your donation and application may either be submitted as a hard copy or electronically.  See the Honor Book Application below for details.

Lt. General Clark & Col. Thomas
Personett at the podium crafted
by Col. Personett