Walter W. Hollis was born in Braintree, Massachusetts. He was a World War II veteran who served in Chemical Warfare Operations and was released from active duty in the fall of 1945. He served in three positions at Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia from 1951 to 1965: optical designer, optical engineer, and fire control systems engineering. From 1965 to 1978, he was Chief of Combat Vehicle and General Instruments Fire Control Laboratory. He was at Falls Church, Virginia from 1978 to 1980 as Scientific Advisor, U.S. Army Operational Test and Evaluation Agency.
He has been Deputy Under Secretary of the Army for Operations Research. Hollis attended the following schools: Northeastern University, Boston University, the National War College, and George Washington University.
From the description of Walter W. Hollis oral history transcript, 2 Sep 2004. (US Army, Mil Hist Institute). WorldCat record id: 70911008