William "Bill" Mason

Details

CollectionCharlice Lin Collection of PhotosDate2017-09-06DescriptionBill was born and raised in St. Louis, Michigan, and met his wife Jacky in grade school. Even at a young age, Bill became interested in mathematics and eventually graduated from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, courtesy of the United States Navy, with degrees in Mathematics and Aeronautical Engineering. After receiving his commission as an Ensign in the US Navy, he married his childhood sweetheart in 1959. He was assigned by the Navy to the missile test center, the USS Desert Ship, in White Sands, New Mexico.

His experience in White Sands set his career toward the Aerospace programs. At TRW in Redondo Beach, he participated in many interesting programs. He contributed to all the Apollo projects including Apollo 11 taking first men to the moon and Apollo 13. Bill’s group brought the astronauts safely back when it had to abort the mission because of a problem while in space. After retiring from TRW, he worked on the development of the B2 Bomber at Northrop Grumman.

In the late ‘60s when soccer first became popular in the United States, Bill and his sons became involved in the AYSO program for youngsters. Bill helped the sport grow by serving as a coach and a referee. He soon realized that knowledgeable referees were vital to the sport, so he became an expert in the laws of the game and wrote a book titled Rules of Soccer, Simplified, that became the “bible” for soccer referees throughout the U.S. Sponsored by the American Youth Soccer Organization, he ran camps throughout the country to instruct referee instructors. His contribution to the development of American youth soccer was recognized in 1984 when he was inducted into the American Soccer Hall of Fame. Location: Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

Bill’s message for the world:
“Peace and education are the most important things in this world.”LanguageengHeld ByPalos Verdes Library District. Peninsula Center Library. Local History Center.Bar Code000043091_37.jpgRestrictions on AccessElectronically held by the Palos Verdes Library District. Copyright status must be investigated before publishing or commercial use. To obtain permission and images for publication purposes please contact the Palos Verdes Library District.

Topic

Geographic LocationRancho Palos Verdes (Calif.)SubjectPortraitsMason, WilliamTime Period2011-2020

Personal Name

PhotographerLin, Charlice

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