Aldridge earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Texas A&M and his Master’s Degree in the same field from the Georgia Institute of Technology. As a cadet, he was a member of the Institute of Aerospace Sciences, Sigma Gamma Tau Aerospace Engineering Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and the Shreveport Hometown Club.
Aldridge’s distinguished 42-year career in the aeronautics field included 18 years of service in the Pentagon under three separate presidential administrations. He served as the director of Planning and Evaluation, as Under Secretary and then Secretary of the Air Force, and finally as the under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.
He served as President of McDonnell Douglas Electronic Systems Company and President and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation. Aldridge was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, presented the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association and has been a volunteer and contributor to dozens of educational and non-profit organizations.
He is an Honorary Fellow and Past President of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Aldridge has donated generously to the Texas A&M Department of Aerospace Engineering and is an Endowed Century Club member with The Association of Former Students. He was named an Association of Former Students Distinguished Alumnus in 2009.