William A. Roberts*
Class of 1952
- President Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company
The free-enterprise system works, and I'm an example of that.
William Roberts began his working career on a farm in Missouri while attending high school. Following a short period at a business college, he entered the farm machinery business in 1924. He joined Allis-Chalmers as a salesman and began moving up through the ranks of the company. In 1951, he became its president, and under his leadership, Allis-Chalmers began to explore nuclear energy.