MU Remembers 55th Anniversary Of Plane Crash

On Nov. 14, 1970, Southern Airways Flight 932 crashed short of the Huntington Tri-State Airport, killing all 75 passengers on board. Of those 75 passengers, 37 were football players and 33 were coaches, staff and members of the community there to support the Thundering Herd. 

Fifty-five years later, Marshall University is still honoring the 75 with the annual fountain ceremony. Matt James, vice president of Alumni Relations, said the ceremony is a reminder to the community to always rise above. 

“It’s not just the tragedy of a crash, but it’s everything that happened after that crash. It’s the reason why we continue to move forward, it’s the reason why we can think back on what happened on that day in 1970,” James said. 

James said that when tragedy happens in life, one of two routes can be taken, and Marshall chooses to celebrate and honor the 75 and their families. 

“You can forget it and act like it never happened, or you can face it head-on, you can remember it, you can reflect on it and you can honor it,” James said. 

This year’s keynote speaker is Michele Prestra Craig, the daughter of Michael Prestra, a local businessman who was killed in the crash. Craig will be the first female keynote speaker for the ceremony since 2020. 

James said he is excited for students to hear what Craig will have to say during her speech. 

“I’m just excited for our students, especially our female students, who may be looking for examples of Marshall graduates or women leaders in the community,” James said.  

James and other Marshall members also unveiled a two-year-long project to honor the “Marshall Four,” who were from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and some of the first Black athletes to receive major scholarships. 

“Just going down there, you would have thought the crash happened yesterday, not 55 years ago,” James said. “We continue to celebrate the 75 because it’s part of our identity.”

The 55th annual Fountain Ceremony will take place on Friday at noon on the Memorial Student Center Plaza. 

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This report was produced thanks to a partnership between Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.