The Faculty History Project documents faculty members who have been associated with the University of Michigan since 1837. Key in this effort is to celebrate the intellectual life of the University. This Faculty History Website is intended as a component of the effort to document the extraordinary academic achievements of Michigan’s faculty in building and sustaining one of the world’s great universities. It provides access to a comprehensive database of information concerning the thousands of faculty members who have served the University of Michigan.
Find out more.
The Bentley Historical Library serves as the official archives for the University.
Alumnus Returns To Campus To Head Ordnance Unit Of R.O.T.C.
William E. Renner
The Michigan Alumnus 264
The Michigan Alumnus 264
MAJOR WILLIAM E. REN NER, '27e, head of the Ordnance Unit of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, is a Michigan man who came back to the Campus in September, 1940, as a member of the Faculty.
Major Renner, before being called to active duty in the Army, was an active member of the University of Michigan Club of Schenectady, New York. He served as a member of the Board of Gov ernors of the Club in 1938 and 1939 and was Vice-President in 1939.
The Major was born in Schenec tady, April 28, 1904. He spent his boyhood on a farm in Vermont, and he graduated from high school in Utica, New York, in 1921. He worked for two years and entered the University in 1923. He was to tally self-supporting in college, yet he went out for basketball and base ball and was active in R.O.T.C. He won memberships in Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, Triangle, and Quarterdeck, and he joined Lambda Chi Alpha, social frater nity.
After his return to the Cam pus in 1940 Major Renner was made a member of Scabbard and Blade. He was graduated in 1927 with two degrees, Bachelor of Sci ence in Mechanical Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. At the same time he received his re serve commission as Second Lieu tenant in Ordnance. He accepted a position with the General Electric Company in Schenectady as a test engineer, later working in the development of refrigeration, refriger ator design, and finally he was placed in charge of research aimed at reducing the cost of home re frigerators.
In 1939 he was Presi dent of the General Electric En gineers' Association. In the latter part of 1939, he accepted a position as head of the Department of Ad ministrative Engineering at Syra cuse University. When he was called to active duty in the Army in June 1940, he had attained the rank of Captain. He spent the sum mer of that year at Watervliet Arsenal, Troy, New York, and in September he was called to his post at the University. He was pro moted to the rank of Major in July 1941.
William Renner was married in his senior year in college to Miss Doris Perrin, of Corning, New York. They have three boys and a girl. A great lover of the out-of-doors, he likes nothing better than to pile his family into the car and go on a camping trip. Major Renner is an active church worker. He was a reader of the Christian Science Church in Schenectady, and he became affiliated with the church in Ann Arbor as soon as he returned. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education.