Jasper Co. native joins National Aviation Hall of Fame

RIDGELAND, S.C. (WTOC) - Retired Air Force Gen. Lloyd “Fig” Newton, a Jasper County native, founder of Polaris Tech Charter School in Ridgeland, and former command pilot with 269 combat missions in Vietnam, joined the prestigious National Aviation Hall of Fame on September 19, 2025.

Newton and five other honorees were celebrated in Wichita, Kansas, according to a press release.

The Hall of Fame is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, home of the Wright Brothers.

Since Congress founded it in 1964, the National Aviation Hall of Fame has inducted more than 260 people who have shaped American aviation and aerospace.

“I have been blessed with the recent announcement of my selection to the National Aviation Hall of Fame,” Newton said. “This award is the highest honor in the aviation community and is considered the Oscar award of aviation. Many of our astronauts and aviation legends are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. It’s truly an honor to be selected.”

Newton joins the National Aviation Hall of Fame that includes astronauts such as Neil Armstrong and Charles Bolden, wartime aviators such as Gregory “Pappy” Boyington and James “Jimmy” Doolittle, and aerospace specialists such as Katherine Johnson, who joined what later became NASA in 1953 as a “computer” in the all-black female mathematics group.

Her work and that of her team was featured in the Hollywood movie “Hidden Figures.”

“Gen. Newton stood out for both his extraordinary military flying career and his influential civilian leadership,” said Aimee Maruyama, President and CEO of the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

“His achievements, including being the first African American pilot to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, his distinguished combat and command service, and his trailblazing career with Pratt & Whitney, each represent the type of vision, leadership, and dedication that embody our mission. His impact spans from inspiring the next generation of aviators to guiding technological innovation in the aerospace industry,” she said.

According to the press release Newton, a native of Jasper County, SC, recently helped start Polaris Tech Charter School in Ridgeland, SC, to give Lowcountry families more choice in their education.

The release states the school now serves about 500 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.

“We are absolutely thrilled at Gen. Newton’s selection to the National Aviation Hall of Fame, for his career in aerospace and aviation, and for his community work which includes being one of the founding members of Polaris Tech Charter School. The entire Polaris family is so proud to celebrate this remarkable achievement,” said Kim Statler, executive director of the K-12 public school in Ridgeland, SC.

A retired four-star General, Newton joined Pratt & Whitney Military Engines in September 2000 after a successful 34-plus year career with the US Air Force.

He was born in Ridgeland, where he graduated from Jasper High School.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aviation education and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant from Tennessee State University in Nashville in 1966.

In 1985, Newton received a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

He was a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in the T-37, T-38, F-4, F-15, F-16, C-12 and the F-117 stealth fighter.

In 1968-1969, he flew 269 combat missions in Vietnam and was selected to join the U.S. Air Force Aerial Demonstration Squadron, The Thunderbirds, in November 1974, making him the first African-American pilot to fly with the team.

Gen. Newton also has been inducted into the South Carolina Aviation Hall of Fame and the International Air & Space Hall of Fame.

He is married to the former Elouise Marine, and they reside in Bluffton, SC.

The National Aviation Hall of Fame’s mission is “to honor America’s aerospace pioneers and memorialize and share their impact for the inspiration of leaders to come. From early flight to space travel, we strive to create a distinctive educational resource that will inspire future generations to appreciate our nation’s extraordinary aviation heritage and the men and women who created it.”

The organization’s vision is to capture the imaginations of and encourage the next generation of aerospace leaders through an evolving narrative of previous legends’ challenges and accomplishments.

The permanent Heritage Hall & Education Center is in Dayton, OH.

The Hall of Fame’s Board of Nominations holds several rounds of screening for nominees to the Hall.

To be considered, an individual must first be nominated by a member of the NAHF.

The Board then reviews the nominations against the criteria established in its Congressional Charter, which tasks the organization to honor those whose outstanding contributions have advanced aviation in the United States.

Newton continues to serve Polaris Tech as a founder of the charter school and its board chair.

Polaris Tech is a state-approved charter school serving K-12 students from Jasper, Colleton, Hampton, and Beaufort counties.

It is a free school (no tuition), that focuses on preparing young people for successful work and college.

The Polaris Tech academic emphasis is on six career areas, including Aerospace, Health Sciences, and Business Management.

Polaris Tech continues to accept student applications for the upcoming school year for students in grades K-12, and families can apply online at www.polaristech.org.

The school is located on Grays Highway across from the Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport and recently opened a new elementary wing and competition gym to complete the campus.