[2] As a young man he worked for Curtis Aviation in Saint Louis, Missouri then Spartan Aircraft Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
He later worked at Goodyear Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio, installing power systems in dirigibles for the United States Navy, and at Boeing in Seattle, Washington, building B-17 bombers.
[3] He was a foreman at the San Diego Naval Air Station metals shop, and during World War II taught welding to women who were entering the work force.
Sold directly to consumers, Fluidmaster kits worked more smoothly and were more durable than the original equipment[7] and eventually became the most common toilet valves in the United States.
[3] He was an aficionado of exotic cars[9] and a frequent donor and volunteer for conservative causes, the Republican Party, and the Boy Scouts of America and other charities.