Directory of Members
Richard A. Croxall (Dick)
Northrop Grumman Corp., Vice President & Chief Engineer
Having reached what is possibly the highest
position at Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC)
of any Cal Poly Pomona alumnus, Richard Croxall
may have retired in 2005, but he has not stopped
making a difference. His involvement with the
aerospace industry continues through senior
consulting positions, and he has been a member of
the Engineering Industry Advisory Councils for Cal Poly
Pomona, Cal Poly SLO, UCLA, USC and Cal Tech.
Croxall also headed Northrop Grumman’s University Alliances, which allowed him to work closely with engineering education programs nationwide, and he believes that the two Cal Polys are among the best and provide a solid engineering education. His own education includes a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering earned in 1963, and he is certain the polytechnic philosophy of learn-by-doing gave him the foundation for a long and successful aerospace career.
In addition to having served on the engineering
board at Cal Poly Pomona, Croxall recently started
a scholarship for engineering students. As an NDC
member, he hopes to develop strategies for finding,
recruiting, retaining and graduating diverse populations
of university students. He was selected as the College of
Engineering’s Distinguished Alumnus in 2002.
While Croxall serves his alma mater well, he confesses that his heart is divided between the two Cal Polys. His daughter-in-law Amy earned her degree from the Pomona campus, but his sons, Robert and Daniel, earned their degrees at the San Luis Obispo campus, along with another daughter-in-law Laura. While the score may be slightly tilted in favor of Cal Poly SLO, Croxall’s service on the NDC will unquestionably be a win for Pomona.
Croxall and his wife, Nancy, live in El Segundo, California, and his hobbies include playing tennis, jogging and water skiing.