DENVER — A Denver pilot is raising money to create a new scholarship endowment at Metropolitan State University of Denver — a tribute to the late Roy Morgan, who founded Air Methods and inspired a generation of aviators.
Roger Miller met Morgan when he was just a toddler.
"I was probably about two years old when I met Roy," Miller said. "Roy introduced me to aviation and inspired me to be to pursue aviation as a career, and then later in life helped me pursue my dreams to become a pilot and to be in aviation," Miller said.
Watch how Miller is honoring his friend and mentor in the video below:
Morgan graduated from MSU in 1980 and went on to found Air Methods, a company that transformed how emergency medical teams reach patients in the field.
"Roy's idea was that instead of bringing the patient to the emergency room, why not bring a highly skilled team and a well-equipped helicopter to the patient out in the field," Miller said.
Morgan also became a flight instructor and offered Miller free lessons when money was tight.
"I was getting school loans to go to Metro State here, and I needed a little help to make it through. And so Roy offered his flight instruction free of charge, which was amazing," Miller said.
Morgan died in 2024. Now, Miller is working to honor his friend and mentor by launching the Roy Morgan Memorial Endowment at MSU Denver.
The effort arrives at a critical time — during a national pilot shortage and as the cost of learning to fly continues to rise. Reeves Player, a senior at MSU studying aviation and aerospace science, knows those financial barriers firsthand.
"You can dream to fly, but you don't have the funds, then you just can't fly. And as an aviation and a pilot nerd, then I, I can never imagine not flying," Player said.
Player's love of aviation started early, sparked by a family member who took him up in the sky.
"My uncle would land in my backyard with his helicopter and take me flying... just right then there, just aviation bug was just in me," Player said.
Miller and supporters are still raising money for the endowment. The more donations they receive, the more scholarships they can award each year. For Miller, it all comes back to the man who gave him his start.
"Roy came from very, very humble beginnings, and I want to inspire anybody who comes from humble beginnings to know that they can change the world and they can change an industry that they're in," Miller said.
"Roy always wanted to convey that even if you start with nothing, you can end up with everything," Miller said.
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