Donald Caldwell is a graduate of Rice University with a BA in Chemistry.

After marrying his high school sweetheart, Caldwell served a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy, where he advanced to the rank of Mineman, 3rd Class.

Following separation from the Navy, Caldwell returned to Texas to begin a career in the chemical industry. In 1964, he joined The Dow Chemical Company in Freeport, Texas, and moved to verdant, Lake Jackson with his wife to raise three daughters, as well as picking up an MS in Chemistry from Texas A&M University along the way.

Caldwell's years as a Dow research scientist were spent doing a variety of interesting things. He is the holder of 19 U.S. Patents and have authored book chapters and technical papers in fields as diverse as industrial electrochemistry and composite materials science.

Furthermore, Caldwell is the author of several books about the Luftwaffe in World War II.