Hall of Fame
As a student at Ferrum College, Mason served as a student trainer and manager for football, basketball, and baseball. A member of the 1965 National Championship football team, he received the Ferrum College 1967 Distinguished Athletic Award. Mason transferred to William and Mary where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1970 and Master's in Education in 1976.
Mason entered the Marine Corps in 1970 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in December of that year. After a year in flight school in Pensacola, Florida, he was Designated a Naval Aviator in February 1972. Mason served as a helicopter pilot in three of the four Marine Air Wings, and he served four and a half years with Marine Helicopter Squadron One at Quantico, Virginia where he was designated a Presidential Helicopter Command Pilot for the last two and a half years of his tour. As a staff officer, Mason served as the Deputy Program Manager for the H-53 Helicopter Program at the Naval Air Systems Command and as the V-22 Osprey Requirements Officer for the Department of the Navy in the Pentagon. After completing the National Defense University Advanced Program Managers Course at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Mason served as the Program Manager for the AV-8B Harrier Program at the Naval Aviation Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland.
Mason served in the Marine Corps for thirty years retiring in 2000 as a Colonel. During his 30 years as a helicopter pilot, he flew over 5,000 accident free hours in 14 different types of aircraft. His personal military decorations include the Legion of Merit (Gold Star in lieu of 2nd award), the Meritorious Service Medal (2 Gold Stars in lieu of 3rd award), the Presidential Service Badge, and the Order of the Orange Nassau. Mason currently serves on the Ferrum College Board of Trustees, is the 2006 recipient of the Beckham Medallion, and was inducted into the Ferrum College Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
