He was an American aeronautical engineer associated with the Mechanical Division of General Mills Inc., where he played a significant role in mid-20th-century advances in high-altitude balloon technology. He was born on October 25, 1920, in Sparta, Minnesota. He completed his secondary education at Gilbert High School in 1938 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1943. Shortly thereafter, he joined the United States Army Air Forces, serving one tour of duty during the Second World War. Following his military service, he returned to the University of Minnesota, where he obtained a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering in 1947.

In 1949, he joined the Mechanical Division of General Mills Inc., where he worked closely with the aeronautical pioneer Jean Piccard. He became also an integral contributor to research programs focused on the development of high-altitude balloon systems for both manned flight and cosmic ray investigations. Among his contributions was the development of extrusion processes for polyethylene and the design of machinery used to manufacture “pillow balloons,” which were employed in the early 1950s to disperse propaganda leaflets over Eastern Europe under the auspices of the Radio Free Europe Committee. He also participated in several launch campaigns conducted from West Germany, targeting regions behind the Iron Curtain, including Hungary.

Later in his career at General Mills, he contributed to the early development and promotion of a deep-submergence vehicle design that would ultimately evolve into the ALVIN submarine. This submersible, in its upgraded forms, has remained in active use for deep-sea research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

After a professional career spanning nearly four decades, he retired from General Mills in 1989. In addition to his engineering career, he was an accomplished swimmer and was recognized as one of the University of Minnesota’s most distinguished athletes in the sport. In 1987, he was inducted into the University’s Aquatics Hall of Fame.

In retirement, he resided in Roseville, Minnesota, with his wife, Mildred. He died on March 4, 2018, at the age of 98.