Thornton Arnold "T" Wilson, former Boeing chairman and chief executive officer, is being recalled as a decisive, tough, yet compassionate visionary who helped shape the future of commercial and military aviation.
Known to friends as colleagues as just "T," Wilson died in his sleep April 10 at this winter home in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 78.
"We are deeply saddened at the passing of a truly great business leader and visionary human being," said Phil Condit, Boeing chairman and chief executive officer. "Few men were more closely linked to the success of Boeing and the global aerospace industry than T. Wilson."
Wilson was actively involved in the introduction of the jet age for both large military and commercial aircraft during his 42-year Boeing career, Condit said. He led the company out of one of the darkest periods in its history during the early 1970s, when a downturn in orders and cancellation of the supersonic transport program caused massive employment reductions.
He also committed the company to launching the 757 and 767 jetliner programs simultaneously - a feat that earned Wilson and Boeing the Collier Trophy in 1982.
He left briefly to teach and study at Iowa State and the California Institute of Technology, where he earned a master's in aeronautical engineering in 1948.
Wilson became overall project engineer for the B-52 program during the latter stages of its design, then led the team which won the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile program for the company. He took over active general management of the Minuteman program in the late '50s and helped establish Boeing as a leader in large-scale systems integration.
Wilson became company president in 1968 and chief executive officer a year later. He became chairman of the board of directors in 1972.
He retired as chief executive officer in 1986 and as chairman in 1987, culminating 42 years with Boeing. He remained on as chairman emeritus until 1993.
Frank Shrontz, who served under Wilson and later succeeded him as chairman and CEO, said Wilson was a pleasure to work with.
"He was someone who was easy to admire," Shrontz said. "He combined decisiveness with a lot of compassion - something people didn't really know because he could be a bit crusty on the outside. That is a true mark of leadership."
"He never interfered with what I was doing," echoed Malcolm Stamper, who served under Wilson as Boeing president for 14 years. "I thought Wilson was very charismatic, talented, very brilliant. He was driven - when he got on something he wanted to do there was no nonsense about it.
"You knew where you stood with him," Stamper added. "I admired him myself - he was a great mentor."
Tex Boullioun, retired vice president and commercial airplane salesman, said Wilson was always straightforward.
"He acted exactly as he felt towards everyone - his reactions were completely genuine," Boullioun said. "If he disagreed with something he'd say so, but he also had the capability to change his position.
"He barked a little bit, but we had an understanding. He was a wonderful person."
Wilson is survived by his wife Grace Miller Wilson; three children, Thornton A. Wilson III, Daniel Wilson and Sarah Parkinson; and six grandchildren.
There will be no funeral services. Remembrances may be sent to the University of Washington.
"T's name was synonymous with excellence," Condit said, "and we will deeply miss him."