Dennis A. Tito
From The Space Library
Dennis A. Tito, Soyuz TM32
Dennis Tito, founder, chairman and CEO of Wilshire Associates, earned a bachelor of science degree in astronautics and aeronautics from New York University College of Engineering and a master of science degree in engineering science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He later finished course requirements at the University of California, Los Angeles' Anderson School for a Ph.D. in finance. During the 1960s he worked for five years for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, helping plot the trajectories for Mariner spacecraft missions. After helping to found Wilshire Associates in 1972, Mr. Tito created the index now known as the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Compositesm Index, the broadest measure of the US securities markets. He also is credited with helping develop the field of quantitative investment analysis. Mr. Tito became the world's first paying space traveler in 2001, when he flew with a Russian crew aboard a Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station.
