College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Dean's Office
EERB 401
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-4253
Email: enginfo@uwyo.edu
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1964
M.S. Mechanics Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1967
William T. Dolling, born May 28, 1942, spent his summers working on the TL ranch outside of Medicine Bow, Wyoming, where everything was done with horses. For several summers he worked alone on the ranch herding 800 cows to keep them out of the National Forest. In 1964 he earned his baccalaureate degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wyoming, and went to work at Pratt and Whitney, concurrently earning a Mechanics Master degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1967. Bill joined Thiokol Corporation in 1967 beginning as a senior engineer and rising to Vice-President of Science and Engineering, supervising a group of 900 engineers and PhDs before retiring in 2002.
During his career, Bill was awarded three patents in rocket nozzle design, directed projects for Peacekeeper rocket motor development, directed manufacturing of composite rocket cases and the B1 rotary launch tube, and managed various plant design and facility teams. As Vice President of Space Engineering, he was solely responsible for all Space Shuttle Solid Rockets, representing Thiokol at all critical Space Shuttle reviews and flights. As Vice President of Science and Engineering he was in charge of engineering, design, testing and the materials development laboratory for all Thiokol products. Bill also consolidated all engineering departments when ATK purchased Thiokol.
Bill ardently promoted use of engineering problem solving and design methodology,
teamwork, and ethics to help all who worked with him improve. Bill returned to promote
those concepts to UW engineering students, assisting with Senior Design and serving
on the Mechanical Advisory Board.
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Dean's Office
EERB 401
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-4253
Email: enginfo@uwyo.edu