Jack Roeser

John Otto Roeser[1] (August 31, 1923 – June 13, 2014) was an American engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, businessman, civic leader and candidate for elected office.[2]

Roeser was born in Chicago, the youngest son of Irene and Otto Roeser. As a boy he designed and built free flight model aircraft winning national championships.[3]

Roeser was the chairman and founder of Otto Engineering Inc. in Carpentersville, Illinois, which manufactures electronic control and communication switches for aerospace, medical and industrial uses since 1961. In 2006, Otto had over 500 employees and annual sales of over $79 million. He had received over 50 patents in electrical, mechanical, machinery and marine products.[4][5]

Roeser enlisted in the Army in 1942 and served during World War II as a corporal in the 1689th Engineer Battalion Combat Engineers in the Pacific Theater. He served in combat with distinction fighting the Japanese in the Philippines, most notably in the Battle of Leyte. He was one of the first U.S. soldiers to set foot on Japan after its surrender to the Allies in 1945.[6]

In 1948, he received his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois graduating with Pi Tau Sigma honors. In 1996, Roeser was chosen as an Outstanding Alumnus of the University of Illinois.[7]

After graduating from the University of Illinois and before founding Otto Engineering he worked at the Hawthorne Works and started a three other successful businesses which are now owned by other corporations.[5][6]

Roeser was a competitive sailor. Of the many trophies his boat The Jeannine had won,[8] the most prestigious is the Chicago-Mackinac Cup awarded in 1988 for winning the 90th running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.[9] Roeser lived in Barrington, Illinois, with his wife, Jeannine.

  1. ^ "Board of Trustees Minutes - 1948". UIHistories Project. The University of Illinois. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  2. ^ O'Donnell, Maureen (June 13, 2014). "Jack Roeser, GOP figure, major fundraiser, has died". Sun-Times. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  3. ^ "Obituary for Jack Roeser". Champion News. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  4. ^ "About Us". Otto. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference FTF was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b "US Army Reserve MIL webpage, 416th Theater Engineer Command, From Trenches To Dollars, Retired Corporal Receives Medal, Jack Roeser Receives medal" (PDF). Hqda.army.mil. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  7. ^ "MechSE Distinguished Alumni : 2011 Award Recipients". Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  8. ^ "Chicago - Mackinac Cup : Race to Mackinac Division Trophy" (PDF). Chicago Yacht Club. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  9. ^ [1] Archived September 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine