Walter J. Zable

Walter Joseph Zable (June 17, 1915 – June 23, 2012) was an American businessman, entrepreneur, semi-professional football player and college athlete. He was the founder, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Cubic Corporation, a public corporation providing military defense equipment and automated fare collection equipment. At the time of Zable's death, he was the world's oldest public company CEO and Cubic was worth 1.28 billion dollars. Earlier in his life he had played semi-professional football for the Richmond Arrows in the Dixie League. Some sources also mention him as having played for the National Football League's New York Giants, although no official Giants records exist of his having played for the team.

Early life and college Walter J. Zable was born in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in Boston, Massachusetts during the Great Depression while his father worked in a mill. He chose William & Mary over Harvard University which was much closer to home and also offered him an academic scholarship. He enjoyed success on the gridiron and earned honorable mention All-America accolades his senior year. Along the way he married his wife, Betty Virginia (Carter) Zable, and then they moved to southern California. Back in 1971, he "established the Walter J. Zable/San Diego Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFFCHF) to help preserve the genuine sportsmanship and integrity exhibited in high school and college football," according to an official San Diego City Council proclamation in honor of his 90th birthday.