Grew up in Fairplain, then briefly in Sissonsville, and then Charleston, WV. Grade school through high school in West Charleston. Went to University of Cincinnati for two years in Co-Op engineering, then finished BS and MS degrees in the University of Cincinnati Evening College. Worked at Metcut Research and then General Electric Aircraft Engines while going to Evening College; promoted to Engineer at GE. Was briefly a manager at GE, but didn't like managing people. Subsequently a project manager, and that was okay. Worked on both nickel and titanium alloy development; became the titanium alloy expert for GE. Helped develop and introduced to the titanium industry the hearth melt process which is much better at eliminating melt related defects that the current triple vacuum arc remelt process. Instrumental in forming the international Jet Engine Titanium Quality Committee that tracks the quality of premium titanium alloy materials. I was coauthor on many patents for GE, mostly relating to titanium alloys. Finally I retired, but I still get a few calls relating to titanium materials.