Dr. William T. Carpenter
Vice President for Ballistic Missile Defense Raytheon Missile Systems (Retired)
"The engineering education I received at Purdue provided me with a firm foundation for a successful career in aerospace. After graduation I found that my engineering knowledge and skills were equal to or in most cases superior to my peers in industry. My fellow students and the faculty at Purdue provided a challenging, exciting environment for learning."
Dr. William T. Carpenter was born in New York City and grew up in Pearl River, New York. He attended Swarthmore College (BSEE), Princeton (MSEE), and Purdue (Ph.D.). Following college, he moved to Southern California to take a position with Hughes Aircraft Company. He worked for Hughes and Raytheon Missile Systems, following their purchase of Hughes, until he retired as a vice president in 2002.
While living in Simi Valley, California, he became an elected member and chairman of the recreation and parks district. He was later elected to the Simi Valley city council and served as mayor. He served as a board member of the Southern California Association of Governments and was co-chair of their transportation and utilities committee, which directed the distribution of state and federal transportation funds to local governments in Southern California. He was also a member of the Boards of Ventura County Association of Governments and the Simi Valley and Ventura County Sanitation Districts.
Dr. Carpenter was also a member and president of the Simi Valley YMCA and Boys and Girls Club. He was a member of the Simi Valley Rotary Club and a member of the board of directors of the Wellness Community and Ventura Red Cross chapter.
He has been married for 48 years to Barbara Quinn Carpenter (M.S.Ed. 1968) and has two adult children, William Jr. and Sarah. William Jr. is an engineer working for Disney and Sarah is a physician who has worked extensively for Doctors Without Borders. Dr. Carpenter has four grandchildren.
Dr. and Mrs. Carpenter currently live in Tucson, Arizona, where he conducts consulting work.
While living in Simi Valley, California, he became an elected member and chairman of the recreation and parks district. He was later elected to the Simi Valley city council and served as mayor. He served as a board member of the Southern California Association of Governments and was co-chair of their transportation and utilities committee, which directed the distribution of state and federal transportation funds to local governments in Southern California. He was also a member of the Boards of Ventura County Association of Governments and the Simi Valley and Ventura County Sanitation Districts.
Dr. Carpenter was also a member and president of the Simi Valley YMCA and Boys and Girls Club. He was a member of the Simi Valley Rotary Club and a member of the board of directors of the Wellness Community and Ventura Red Cross chapter.
He has been married for 48 years to Barbara Quinn Carpenter (M.S.Ed. 1968) and has two adult children, William Jr. and Sarah. William Jr. is an engineer working for Disney and Sarah is a physician who has worked extensively for Doctors Without Borders. Dr. Carpenter has four grandchildren.
Dr. and Mrs. Carpenter currently live in Tucson, Arizona, where he conducts consulting work.