Lloyd D. “Skipper” McDaniel was at the forefront of the computing revolution during his service as an executive at Hewlett Packard from 1977-91. 

Today, his spirit of innovation lives on at Arkansas Tech University through provisions he made in his estate plan. 

McDaniel was born in Pine Bluff on June 16, 1940. He graduated from Little Rock Hall High School and enrolled at Arkansas Tech, where he earned an engineering degree in 1960 before moving on to further study at the University of Arkansas. 

After his death on April 14, 2017, McDaniel left more than $3.2 million to be invested in computer science and engineering equipment, software and supplies for the benefit of Arkansas Tech students.

Students in the ATU College of Engineering and Applied Sciences have proven themselves to be among the best in the nation in recent years. 

In April 2019, a team of six ATU students achieved a fuel efficiency of 993 miles per gallon to finish third among teams from the United States and seventh overall in the prototype internal combustion engine division at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas challenge.

In December 2019, a team of 11 ATU students punched their ticket to the VEX U Robotics World Championship by winning the overall excellence award at a qualifying tournament in Little Rock.

As ATU looks ahead to life after the pandemic, McDaniel’s estate gift will help even more Arkansas Tech STEM students pursue their passions and realize their potential. 

-By Sam Strasner
for the Tech Action, Fall 2021