Howard Walker competed in football, basketball, and baseball while at DU, earning seven varsity letters in all. He captained both the football and basketball teams and belonged to the Leadership Honorary Society, as well as the Sigma Chi fraternity. After graduating with a degree in chemistry, Walker was principal and coach of Mount Sterling High School and earned his master’s degree in social administration. In 1942, he began work as a researcher for Owens-Corning Fiberglas. During his time there, he was granted four basic patents, one of which represented a profoundly important contribution to the manufacture of optical glass.