Charles Allen Simmons was born November 18, 1912 in Shreveport, Louisiana.
He graduated from Byrd High School in 1927 and earned a BS degree in Liberal Arts, Majoring in Electrical Engineering at Southwestern Louisiana Institute in Lafayette, La. in 1935. A short time in Los Angeles, CA ended when Charles accepted an appointment to the Flying Cadets of the Army Air Corp. Unfortunately he failed to meet the rigid and strict requirements of peace time agenda there. He "washed out". Returning to Shreveport Charles joined in partnership with a trucking concern. Business was slow and he took a job with Seisnic Explorations, an oil seeking company working in Alabama, Louisiana and Texas. That contract expired in 1938 and Charles returned to Shreveport to work with United Gas Pype Line Company as a draftsman. In 1942 he accepted an appointment as Lt jg in the U S Navy and was assigned to Harvard for one year. Three months at MIT, three months at Special Projects training at Ward Island and one month at the Navy Research Lab at Anacostia and he began Active Duty at San Diego Naval Air Station as Liaison Officer between the Navy and Consolidated- VuJtee Aircraft Company reporting to the Burea of Aeronautics in Washington, DC He was transferred to Patuxent River Naval Air Test Center as a Special Projects Officer in charge of Counter Measures activities. In 1946 Charles was Honorably Discharged from Active Duty and returned to Shreveport to work as Radio Engineer for United Gas. He remained connected with the Navy in a reserve capacity and served as Commanding Officer of Naval Reserve Organized Surface Division 9-52 in Burlington for four years. In 1949 he accepted a position with Silas Mason Company, under contract to the AEC as Test Engineer. After ten years in Burlington, Iowa, Charles was persuaded to join the Martin-Marietta Company in Orlando, Florida as a Design Engineer working with missiles. He resigned from that position in 1970. Charles Simmons joined the Masonic Lodge in 1950 and the Scottish Rite and Shrine, sigma Pi Alpha, Institute of Radio Engineers, Society for Non-Destructive Testing, Military Officers Association of America, University Club of Winter Park.