French was a driving force in implementing the Professional Pilot Program at Kansas State University’s Aviation School in Salina and the Wichita Area Technical College. He also promoted “Project Up with Grades”, a program developed to address the problems of attendance, discipline, and grades in the classroom. French was recognized as a highly student-oriented instructor in the secondary aerospace program. He also taught Aviation Ground School for Hutchinson Community College, and was a veteran of the Kansas Air National Guard. He was a pilot with single & multi-engine, commercial, instrument, and advanced ground instructor ratings. He was honored as the Kansas Aviation Teacher of the Year in 1992, received the USD 259 Outstanding Teacher Recognition in 1995, and in 1996 he received the Brewer Aerospace Education Award from the Civil Air Patrol for his excellence in aerospace education.