CPMOW Client Bill Hughes has led a very interesting life and
always willing to share a story with our volunteers. Mr. Hughes
was born in 1925 and has lived in Culver City since 1931. Mr.
Hughes served in the US Army and Air Force in World War II,
Korea and Vietnam! He volunteered for duty when asked
during each conflict. During World War II he taught aeronautical
maintenance to Chinese pilots and others. When stationed in
Phoenix, AZ he was a frequent guest of Air Force officer Barry
Goldwater’s home on weekends. Bill’s hobby is flying. He has
four children- one son and three daughters – and all four were in the military and all four are pilots!
After graduating from Hamilton H.S. he never intended to go to college but his interest in aeronautics
led him to a major in chemical physics. During graduate school at UCLA, he was asked to work on a
project to rid the noxious fish odor Peru had in their harbors. He was contacted because he had
worked with the fish odor problem at LA Terminal Island. He was invited to Lima, Peru for 10 days
but stayed 1-1/2 years! The techniques that worked at Terminal Island worked in Peru. He was
treated very well and became friends with high officials. His work had far reaching influence. When
Peru wanted regulations for Clean Air, they asked Bill to draft the legislation. Argentina used Bill’s
work for Peru for their own legislation. When the US was looking to draft the Clean Air Act, they used
Argentina’s bill as a model so Bill is the “Great Grandfather of the Clean Air Act”.