University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Grainger College of Engineering

Willis Sprattling Jr.

[title]
Outstanding Alumnus

Vice President, Xerox Corporation, Rochester, New York

  • BS, Engineering, 1947, Bradley University
  • MS, Mechanical Engineering, 1949, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Willis Sprattling Jr. worked as an engineer and a manager of engineers for the Bell Aircraft Corporation, Boeing Company, Aerojet General Corporation, and Xerox Corporation. He started his career as a test engineer developing methods for rocket propulsion engine systems and components. Later, as project engineer, he was responsible for the rocket engine technical program during the transition from research and development to production. His success at combining engineering and managerial aspects of engineering led to a career in corporate management. As a vice president at Xerox, he was directly responsible for an organization of 1,100 people as well as some community relations projects.

 

Sprattling participated on the 1973-1974 National Association of Manufacturers Task Force on Metrication and Standardization and on the 1974 Sloan Foundation Task Force on Increasing Minorities in Engineering. He served on the National Academy of Engineering subcommittee on Manpower Utilization and the National Advisory Council on Minorities in Engineering. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the American Society for Quality Control.

 

Current as of 1978.