Marlin Thompson was born on a farm near Brocket, North Dakota on October 1, 1934. He graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from the University of North Dakota in 1957. He was an editor for two years on The Dakota Engineer, an in-school magazine. After graduation, he worked for Bendix Missile Division, in Mishawaka, Indiana. He worked nine years on the Talos and Typhon anti-aircraft missile programs for the U.S. Navy. He was the co-author of BxM-5000, a book on missile workmanship. During this time, he was active in Republican politics, working on the Barry Goldwater campaign in 1964. Marlin is an...