Rockwell, Willard Frederick, Jr.

Rockwell, Willard Frederick, Jr. (“Al”)

(1914–92) industrialist; born in Boston, Mass. In a long career in family-owned companies, he created Rockwell International, a major aerospace conglomerate best known under his leadership for its work on the U.S. Apollo space program. He retired from Rockwell in 1984. He founded Astrotech International Corporation (1981) to promote commercial applications of space exploration, retiring finally in 1989.