Founder Profile
Gordon Dawson
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Gordon Dawson?
Gordon Dawson is a founder of WD-40 Company, which was founded in 1953 with Norman B. Larsen and John B. Gregory.
- Company founded
- WD-40 Company
- Founded
- 1953
- Co-founders
- Norman B. Larsen and John B. Gregory
Background
American chemical engineer.
Founding Story
Gordon Dawson co-founded the Rocket Chemical Company (which became WD-40) in 1953. Working alongside Norm Larsen, he helped refine the absolute critical early formulas intended to prevent corrosion on the massive, highly advanced Atlas nuclear missiles being built by the US military in San Diego. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Sources
This profile does not yet cite a source specific to Gordon Dawson. The sources below document the company company rather than the person, so check them against the claims above.