Capt. William F. Compton, Retired President of TWA Airlines LLC,
to Speak at Embry-Riddle Commencement

TWA Airlines LLC, a subsidiary of American Airlines, was created in 2001 after American acquired Trans World Airlines. Previously, Compton was the president and chief executive officer of TWA and a member of its board of directors.

Compton began his TWA career in 1968 flying the Boeing 707. He has also piloted 727, 767, DC-9, MD-80, and L1011 aircraft. Even while serving as president and CEO, he maintained his rating as an MD-80 captain and "flew the line" on a regular basis. In other positions at TWA, Compton was executive vice president of operations and chief operating officer.

From 1991 to 1995, Compton chaired the TWA branch of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and was a member of ALPA's executive board. In the mid-1990s, he served as a member of TWA's labor/management task force and coordinated a companywide productivity task force.

During Compton's tenure, TWA moved from a perennial last-place finish in the Dept. of Transportation's monthly on-time performance report to industry leadership in operational reliability. In 1998 and 1999, TWA earned the J.D. Power and Associates Award for customer satisfaction and in 2000 was second among all airlines in both the short-haul and long-haul categories.

Another hallmark of Compton's leadership of TWA was an aircraft replacement program that included the largest new-aircraft order in the company's history. As a result, TWA's fleet went from being the oldest among the major airlines to one of the newest.

In 2001, Compton steered TWA through an agreement for American Airlines to acquire TWA's assets. The pact ensured that the jobs of 20,000 TWA employees were protected and that TWA's routes and its St. Louis hub remained intact. Just three months after the agreement was announced, the $4.2 billion transaction was completed. Compton became the first president of TWA Airlines LLC, a subsidiary of American Airlines established to ease the integration of the TWA system into American.

During his three furloughs from TWA, he was a director, general manager, and executive vice president at Opa Locka Flight Center; a pilot for Iran Air and Nigeria Airways; and chief pilot for Make Believe Farm/Arabian Horse World magazine. Before he joined TWA, Compton was a flight instructor at Burnside-Ott Aviation Training Center in Miami.

Compton holds an associate degree in aerospace from Miami-Dade College. He is currently a trustee of Webster University and was a guest lecturer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business/Law School.

He has served on advisory panels of the Boy Scouts of America and of several organizations based in his community, including Civic Progress, the St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association, and the St. Louis Variety Club.

He will receive Embry-Riddle's Distinguished Speaker Award, which recognizes individuals for their professional accomplishments, national or international stature, or exceptional contributions to society. The award is bestowed on an individual at the conclusion of a special presentation or lecture delivered at a major university function such as commencement, and is used to honor speakers for sharing their special insights with the university community, especially its students and faculty.

Embry-Riddle, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, meets the needs of students and industry through its educational, training, research, and consulting activities. Embry-Riddle educates 24,000 students annually through the master's level at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., at more than 150 teaching centers in the United States and Europe, and through distance learning.