Joseph A. Lent is a member of the class of 1962, the first class to attend E.O. Smith for all four years.  Soon after graduating he joined the Navy.  After completing his service in the Navy, he returned to build submarines at Electric Boat.  He also managed a WT Grant store for a number of years.      

Mr. Lent became his own boss by owning and operating two Western Auto Stores for 30 years, in both Coventry and Storrs. The Aero Diner is one of a set of two identical diners built by the Bramson Engineering Company in 1958.  It moved a few times around the state, but closed in 1995.  In 2005, Mr. Lent bought the diner and moved it from South Windham to its current location in North Windham.  After months of careful restoration, it was reopened in 2006 and is a landmark in the area.  Mr. Lent still lives in Storrs, and continues to be an active member of the community.

Sources:
Photo: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.aerodiner.com/images/345_aero_diner_pics_008.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.aerodiner.com/aerodinerhistory.html&h=209&w=345&sz=20&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=mbFLt0WvT03Z5M:&tbnh=73&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Daero%2Bdiner%2Bct%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den

Interview with Joseph Lent July 19, 2008