He also served in the United States Department of Defense during the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

[5] Born on December 14, 1931, and raised in Boise, Idaho,[6] Shrontz was the son of a sporting goods merchant.

He graduated from Boise High School in 1949 and the University of Idaho in Moscow in 1954 with a Bachelor of Laws degree.

[9] Beginning in 1973, Shrontz served in the United States Department of Defense during the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

[10] This was a successful decision financially, as stabilizing oil prices and airline deregulation soon led the 737 to become Boeing's top selling airframe.

[17] He was part of the group that purchased the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball in 1992, and was on the team's board of directors.