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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Sponsor

Honored by:
Mrs. Chris Hooke

Vince and Natalie Eckel

Early on Vince Eckel was a very accomplished boat racer and excellent at math. He left high school for Wisconsin Teacher's College at 16 and left the College at 18. His boat racing led him to attempt to try racing in Florida. This dream of Florida was changed when the car broke down in New Orleans. He immediately headed to the boat yards of Andrew Higgins of Higgins Industries, manufacturer of motorboats, tugs and barges. The company was later famous for building landing ships for the WWII effort. Vince was involved in constructing motorboats and helped build an airplane. In his spare time he also built boats for the rum runners during prohibition.

After several years he decided to head back north where he worked for an internal combustion machine manufacturer in Chicago. After that he moved out to California where he worked on steam generators for a canning plant. Soon he found a more interesting job at the Lockheed Company in their standards department where he was able to reduce the some 50 types of rivets used on planes for the WWII war effort to just 3. He continued to work for Lockheed in various jobs until after the war. He then decided to go out on his own as a consulting engineer.

As a consulting engineer he designed and completed several projects for L. B. Barksdale Inc. in Los Angeles. During that time he developed his first coaxial solenoid air valve, the AF10C-1, which would later be the invention that encouraged him to open his own company in 1950, shortly after marrying Natalie. However, he first sold the valve to Barksdale for $10 and bought it back for $100 when he decided to go into business for himself.

Eckel Valve Company did well for many years; however it did have its ups-and-downs along with the whole aerospace industry. Eckel solenoid air valves were on every major airplane, rocket and on the Space Shuttle as well. The Company's customers included all the major aerospace companies and the government.

After marrying Vince in 1952, Natalie worked in the company, starting out in finance. She later became head of the business side of the company while Vince continued to invent. During this time they raised 5 children. Vince retired in 1976 and Natalie became General Manager. When Vince died in 1982 Natalie continued on as General Manager, and prepared the business for sale to Kaiser Aerospace. The company was renamed Kaiser Eckel Valve.

Vince and Natalie's avocations were skiing and big game hunting on every continent.