Greetings to all of the friends and family of the Link Foundation:

It has been 56 years since Ed and Marion Link established the Link Foundation, which has endeavored to honor their legacy by supporting research and doctoral-level education in simulation and training, ocean engineering and energy. Many of you receiving this newsletter have been the beneficiaries of those grants.

Our annual appeal, now in its fifth year, was established to raise additional funds for the Foundation. Thanks to you, we have had real success.

I believe Ed and Marion, if they could speak to us today, would not only express their gratitude for the support which you have provided in so many different ways, but also their pride in the fact that the Foundation is focused on advancing science in areas so crucial to the survival of our world. Because Ed’s inventions and initiatives are the foundation of what is occurring in the fields of ocean engineering, energy and simulation, his work continues to receive much deserved acclaim.

The Royal Aeronautical Society has named a lecture series in honor of Ed Link’s achievements. The Vice Chair of that Society has said that the Link Trainer “stands preeminent as a milestone in the history of flight simulation.”

The Foundation is tremendously indebted to Ed’s sister, a former Trustee of the Foundation, Marilyn Link, who has devoted so much of her life to the oversight and stewardship of the Foundation. We are very pleased that she continues to serve in an active and helpful way as a Special Advisor to the Foundation. We are also grateful that many able individuals, some of them former Link aviation personnel, have given so much of their time to assure that the original mission of the Link Foundation is carried out in full measure. This year I would particularly like to single out Ron Hendricks and Bill Turner, who served both as Trustees and later as Special Advisors, to the Foundation. They have retired from the Board this year, but their service in myriad ways has been invaluable to the efforts of the Foundation.

To all of you who are receiving this newsletter, I express my warmest regards and appreciation.

David M. Gouldin
Chair, Board of Trustees