Walter Joseph Zable (June 17, 1915 – June 23, 2012) was an American businessman, entrepreneur, semi-professional
football player and college athlete. He was the founder, chairman and
chief executive officer
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...
(CEO) of
Cubic Corporation
Cubic Corporation is an American public transportation and defense corporation. It operates two business segments: Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) and Cubic Mission and Performance Solutions (CMPS).
History
Cubic Corporation was founded i ...
, a public corporation providing military defense equipment and automated fare collection equipment. At the time of Zable's death, he was the world's oldest public company CEO and Cubic was worth 1.28 billion
dollars
Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, U ...
.
Earlier in his life he had played semi-professional football for the Richmond Arrows in the
Dixie League. Some sources also mention him as having played for the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
's
New York Giants, although no official Giants records exist of his having played for the team.
Early life and college
Walter J. Zable was born in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
He grew up in
Boston, Massachusetts during the
Great Depression while his father worked in a mill.
[ Before Zable reached high school he had taken an interest in electronics.][ During the day he worked on his athletic ability—specifically his football, baseball and track and field prowess—and at night he was enrolled in Boston Trade School where he took classes at ]Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
and Wentworth Institute of Technology
Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT) is a private institute of technology in Boston, Massachusetts. Wentworth was founded in 1904 and offers career-focused education through 21 bachelor's degree programs as well as 13 master's degrees.
Histo ...
.[ Years later Zable recounted that "electronics and athletics were islife."][ He graduated from high school in 1933.
Zable earned a full athletic scholarship to ]the College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William I ...
in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is ...
. He chose William & Mary over Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
which was much closer to home and also offered him an academic scholarship.[ Zable suited up for the Indians football team from ]1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...
through 1936
Events
January–February
* January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
. He enjoyed success on the gridiron and earned honorable mention All-America accolades his senior year.[ In addition to football, Zable also lettered in baseball, basketball, and track and field.][
]
Post college
Football and business careers
After graduating college in 1937 with a Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
degree in physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
, Zable played semi-professional football.[ He played for the Richmond Arrows in the short-lived Dixie League.][ After a year of playing football, he enrolled in the ]University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
Graduate School and earned his Master of Science
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...
degree in physics in 1939.[ Zable then moved on to business. Prior to starting Cubic Corporation in 1951, Zable worked for ]Sperry Gyroscope Company
Sperry Corporation was a major American equipment and electronics company whose existence spanned more than seven decades of the 20th century. Sperry ceased to exist in 1986 following a prolonged hostile takeover bid engineered by Burroughs ...
, Federal Telecommunications Laboratories of ITT, Flight Research Company, and Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. Along the way he married his wife, Betty Virginia (Carter) Zable, and then they moved to southern California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.[ He began Cubic Corporation in 1951 to launch his first product, a device used to measure and test microwave output.][ Over the next six decades, Zable expanded Cubic Corporation into a billion dollar-plus engineering giant that employs approximately 8,000 people worldwide.][
]
Philanthropy
Walter J. Zable and his late wife, Betty Virginia Zable, were philanthropists. In 1990, for instance, they donated $10 million to their ''alma mater'', the College of William & Mary, and in return the college named their football stadium
Football stadium may refer to:
* A stadium used in gridiron football, association football or Australian rules football
* A soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sp ...
after him. Back in 1971, he "established the Walter J. Zable/San Diego Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFFCHF) to help preserve the genuine sportsmanship and integrity exhibited in high school and college football," according to an official San Diego City Council proclamation in honor of his 90th birthday.[ Players such as ]Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau Jr. (; ; January 19, 1969May 2, 2012) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), mostly with the San Diego Chargers. Known for his passionate play, he was a ...
and Mark Malone
Mark M. Malone (born November 22, 1958) is an American former football quarterback in the NFL.
Playing career
Malone was the nation's most recruited quarterback in 1975 out of El Cajon Valley High School near San Diego, California. He also w ...
benefited directly from this NFF chapter.[ Recognizing his contribution to both athletics and his fellow man, the ]National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
(NCAA) bestowed him with the Theodore Roosevelt Award
The Theodore Roosevelt Award is the highest honor the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) may confer on an individual. The award is awarded annually to a graduate from an NCAA member institution who earned a varsity letter in college fo ...
in 1987, which is the highest honor the NCAA confers.[ Past winners include George H. W. Bush, John Wooden, and Bob Dole.
]
Death
On June 23, 2012, Zable died at age 97 from natural causes.[ At the time of his death he was survived by his son Walter C. Zable, daughter Karen (Zable) Cox and 5 grandchildren.][ He was the world's oldest public company CEO and Cubic was worth 1.28 billion ]dollars
Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, U ...
.
Awards and honors
* ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
'' Silver Anniversary All-American Football Team (1962)[
* William & Mary Sports Hall of Fame (1969)][
* San Diego Chapter of the ]National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award
The National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award is among the highest offered by the National Football Foundation (NFF). Every year, the NFF & College Football Hall of Fame pays tribute to a select few with awards of excellence for ex ...
(1979)[
* ]Theodore Roosevelt Award
The Theodore Roosevelt Award is the highest honor the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) may confer on an individual. The award is awarded annually to a graduate from an NCAA member institution who earned a varsity letter in college fo ...
(1987)[
* Honored with a "Walter J. Zable Day" in San Diego in June 2005][
* ]Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young Global Limited, trade name EY, is a multinational professional services partnership headquartered in London, England. EY is one of the largest professional services networks in the world. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and Pricewat ...
's "Entrepreneur of the Year" (2006)[
* In 2007, Zable was inducted into the ]International Air & Space Hall of Fame
The International Air & Space Hall of Fame is an honor roll of people, groups, organizations, or things that have contributed significantly to the advancement of aerospace flight and technology, sponsored by the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Si ...
at the San Diego Air & Space Museum
San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM, formerly the San Diego Aerospace Museum) is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California, United States. The museum is located in Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building, ...
.[Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. ''These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame''. Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. .]
References
External links
Official website of Cubic Corporation
William & Mary Tribe Athletics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zable, Walter J.
1915 births
2012 deaths
American chief executives
American baseball players
American men's basketball players
Baseball players from Massachusetts
Basketball players from Massachusetts
Businesspeople from Boston
Businesspeople from Los Angeles
Businesspeople from San Diego
Players of American football from Massachusetts
University of Florida alumni
William & Mary Tribe baseball players
William & Mary Tribe football players
William & Mary Tribe men's basketball players
William & Mary Tribe men's track and field athletes