William Wallace Grainger

William Wallace Grainger was a 1919 graduate of the UIUC College of Engineering and the founder of W. W. Grainger, Inc. in Skokie, Illinois. He served as President and CEO of the company for 40 years until his retirement in 1968, and then on the Board of Directors until his death in 1982. William Wallace Grainger began contributing to his alma mater in 1966. He established The Grainger Foundation in 1979. His son, David Grainger, currently is President of The Grainger Foundation.