William Kroll was a notable American metallurgist, best known for his work in the field of materials science. He was born on December 24, 1910, and made significant contributions to the understanding of titanium and zirconium processing. His research helped advance the production and application of these metals in various industries. Kroll is particularly recognized for developing the Kroll process, a method for extracting titanium from its ores. This innovative technique revolutionized the way titanium was produced, making it more accessible for use in aerospace, medical, and other high-performance applications. His work laid the foundation for modern titanium metallurgy.