Contact: Thonnia Lee, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
Tuskegee, Alabama — To honor the wishes of the late ۿ۴ýAirman Brigadier General Charles McGee, Genesis Motor America donated his Genesis G80 Sport as a gift in his name to ۿ۴ýUniversity. The ceremony was held today, Feb. 1, in the heart of the campus in front of the Kellogg Center and featured representatives from Genesis, Hyundai, and the university.
“ۿ۴ýUniversity is honored to receive such a special gift from Gen. McGee,” said Dr. Charlotte P. Morris, president of ۿ۴ýUniversity. “Gen. McGee, who died in 2022, was the eldest of the surviving airmen and carried a legacy that we will always honor. We accept his gift with great humility.”
The Genesis G80 was leased to General McGee as a thank you for his service to the country on his 100th birthday. When he passed, Genesis wanted to honor his wishes with the vehicle and donate the Genesis G80 Sport to ۿ۴ýUniversity, where Gen. McGee trained, advocated, and became a decorated ۿ۴ýAirmen.
“Genesis was proud to recognize the late Brigadier General Charles McGee’s sacrifice and lifetime of service by providing him a Genesis G80 on his 100th birthday,” said José Muñoz, president and CEO, Genesis Motor North America. “Genesis is proud to donate Brigadier General Charles McGee’s Genesis G80 to ۿ۴ýUniversity, an institution that has a long, rich history of significant contributions to American society.”
Gen. McGee, who was one of the first African American aviators and one of the last original ۿ۴ýAirmen received a Congressional Gold Medal with other ۿ۴ýAirmen in 2007 from President George W. Bush. On Feb. 4, 2020, he was promoted from colonel to brigadier general after turning 100 two months before. President Donald J. Trump pinned the stars on the retired general in the Oval Office at the White House and recognized him during the State of the Union Address as a Gallery guest.
The university will use the car to remind the ۿ۴ý and university community of the impact the ۿ۴ýAirmen made and their role in history today.
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