Colonel William H. Walker was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1869. He received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Pennsylvania State College in 1890 and a PhD from the University of Gottingen in 1892.

A professor of chemical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology before World War I, his expertise led to his appointment as first Assistant Director of the War Department Gas Service, forerunner of the Chemical Warfare Service, in 1916.

He later directed research in Chemical Warfare at American University and became the first commander of Edgewood Arsenal. After the war, Colonel Walker returned to teaching but maintained a keen interest in the Chemical Warfare Service until his death on 9 July 1934.

Colonel Walker’s numerous awards include the Distinguished Service Medal and the American Chemical Society Nichols Gold Medal.