Donald V. "Don" Fites is best known for having served as the Chairman and CEO of Caterpillar, Inc. from 1990 until 1999.

Early life

Don Fites was born in Tippecanoe County, IN. He attended Valparaiso University

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...

, where he joined Phi Kappa Psi

Phi Kappa Psi

Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been...

. He graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering

Civil engineering

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...

 in 1956, and soon after joined Caterpillar. He attended the MIT Sloan School of Management

MIT Sloan School of Management

The MIT Sloan School of Management is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts....

 as a Sloan Fellow, and received his MBA in 1971.

Career

He attained the position of Vice President at Caterpillar in 1981, and then Executive Vice President in 1985. 1990 marked Don's elevation to the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, which he held until he reached the mandatory retirement age in 1999.

External links

• http://www.mysaboard.org/NAB_PastChair.cfm
• http://www.peoriamagazines.com/ibi/1994/mar/interview-donald-v-fites