Loran Donald Shields was born on September 18, 1936, in San Diego, California.
[1] From 1963 to 1967, he taught in the chemistry department at California State University, Fullerton, at which time he became vice-president for administration.
[3][4] He resigned in 1986 because of health issues, at the time of the Southern Methodist University football scandal.
[6] In 1989, he became the executive director of the California Council on Science and Technology, and remained in that position until 1995.
[1] He also served on the board of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement from 1983 to 1986, and on the National Commission for Cooperative Education.