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W. Paul Thayer | |
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| 20thUnited States Deputy Secretary of Defense | |
| In office January 12, 1983 – January 4, 1984 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Frank Carlucci |
| Succeeded by | William Howard Taft IV |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Paul Thayer (1919-11-23)November 23, 1919 Henryetta, Oklahoma |
| Died | May 6, 2010(2010-05-06) (aged 90) |
| Alma mater | University of Kansas |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1941–1946 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Commander |
| Unit | Fighter Squadron 26 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross (3) Air Medal (10) |
William Paul Thayer (November 23, 1919 – May 6, 2010) was an Americantest pilot,flying ace, aviation executive, andUnited States Deputy Secretary of Defense during theReagan Administration.
W. Paul Thayer was born November 23, 1919, inHenryetta, Oklahoma and attendedhigh school inWichita, Kansas. After a high school, he attendedWichita State University, then spent a year working as anoil fieldroughneck, before enrolling at theUniversity of Kansas, where he majored inpetroleum engineering. During his time in college, he enrolled in theCivilian Pilot Training Program in order to train as apilot.
After college, Thayer entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in mid-1941, earning his wings as anaval aviator in March 1942. His posting in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II was withFighter Squadron 26 (VF-26). Thayer flew aF4F Wildcat and became aflying ace, with six confirmed and four probable aerial victories, and nine furtherJapanese Air Force aircraft destroyed on the ground. He also participated in the sinking of a Japanesedestroyer. Thayer honorably resigned from the navy as alieutenant commander following the end of World War II.
Immediately after leaving the navy, Thayer worked as atransport pilot forTrans World Airlines for two years. He then joined theChance Vought Aircraft Company as atest pilot in 1948. There, he rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming Chief Test Pilot in 1949, Flight Test Director, Vice President of Sales in 1951, and finally Company President in 1961. In 1968, he was awarded theJames H. Doolittle Award.In 1965, the company was reorganized asLing-Temco-Vought (LTV), and Thayer became president of LTV.
In 1970, LTV Aerospace was in deep financial distress and Thayer took over aschief executive officer of LTV. Thayer managed to successfully turn the company around. Thayer was deeply involved in the business community in the 1970s, serving as president of theUnited States Chamber of Commerce and as a member ofThe Conference Board.
On December 6, 1982,President of the United StatesRonald Reagan nominated Thayer to beUnited States Deputy Secretary of Defense. After confirmation by theUnited States Senate, he was sworn in on January 12, 1983. He served as Deputy Secretary of Defense until January 4, 1984, when he resigned amid inquiries into charges of furnishing confidential stock market information, and was replaced byWilliam Howard Taft IV. In June 1985, Thayer was sentenced to four years in prison for the obstructing justice during the insider trading case.[1]
Paul Thayer died on May 6, 2010.[2] He is the father of actressBrynn Thayer.
{{cite web}}:|author2= has generic name (help)| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | United States Deputy Secretary of Defense 1983–1984 | Succeeded by |
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