Joseph Willard Norrbohm was born the youngest of ten siblings on January 23, 1927 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota, and upon graduation, enlisted in the United States Air Force. He served with the Air Force for nearly thirty years and worked his way up to the rank of Lt. Col. Because of his great love for flying, he served as a pilot during World War II, the Korean, and Vietnam Wars where he flew B-29s, B-47s, as well as B-52s up to his retirement. After his military retirement, he moved his family to Poway, California, and received an MBA in Finance before embarking on his PhD in Business. Before completing his PhD, he was hired by Downey Savings and Loan and worked there for 12 years.

Joseph W. Norrbohm passed away on January 14, 2012 in Poway, California, and is buried at Riverside National Cemetery.

Link to the collection's Descriptive Finding Guide.