Position:
Honorary Director of Ball Corporation, retired President/Chairman of the Board and Chairman Emeritus of the Executive Committee.

Who I am - words that describe me:
A pragmatic opportunist, an entrepreneur.

My personal challenges:
To live as long as I can, do as much as I can, and as much good as I can.

My career challenges:
Learning to fly. I have been a licensed pilot for 68 years, holding a commercial pilot's rating for single- and multi-engine aircraft.

Four years in the military. I served in various Air and Ground Force installations during World War II, advancing to the rank of Major. I also served in the War Department, Washington, D.C. as a staff officer with the Fifth Army, saw combat in the European-Mediterranean theater, participated in D-Day landings, Sicily, Salerno, Anzio and Campaigns.

As CEO of Ball Corporation, I helped restructure the business from a leader in the manufacture of glass containers and products related to home canning needs to a diversified high technology industry that includes major instrumentation and control systems for the aerospace industry. Ball Corporation, the company which grew "From Fruit Jars to Satellites."

Scuba diving: I became certified at age 67 and, to date, have completed 700+ dives at various locations throughout the world.

Explorations: My interest in the unusual and challenging undertakings have taken me on expeditions to South Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.

These challenges were important aspects of my career.

Likes/Dislikes:
I like people, accept challenges, tolerate failures, and learn from mistakes.

Influences:
My mother was a most significant influence. My father died when I was young. My uncle, George A. Ball, became a "surrogate father." Other events and people have been important in my life. I lost my first wife, Isabel, after 14 years in a tragic boating accident. My second wife, Virginia, has been a wonderful partner and associate for many adventures and projects for 46 years. Our family includes three sons, two daughters plus grandchildren, sister Janice and brother-in-law John W. Fisher for 58 years. My family has been encouraging to me in many things.

Future goals:
My primary goals are to continue my personal challenges and to encourage others to strive for life-long wellness.

My thoughts about space exploration:
Space exploration offers limitless opportunities and challenges. Ball Aerospace Systems Group, now Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation, has been involved in aerospace since 1957, and the early years of NASA's Space Program, and is a major contributor to the success of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Personal information:
I am a nonagenarian, a lifelong "Hoosier" driven by two greatest motivations - Survival and Curiosity.

Learn More from My Chats

• September 29, 1998