William Naumann; Former Caterpillar Chief Executive

William L. Naumann, 83, who worked his way up from a machine shop apprentice to head of Caterpillar Inc. Naumann joined the Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar in 1929. He earned the first of his three plant manager positions in 1950 and was named a company vice president in 1960. He became a director in 1967 and was named chairman in 1975. Naumann stepped down as chairman and chief executive officer in 1977 but stayed on the board until retiring to Florida in 1984. In Boynton Beach, Fla., on May 8 of cancer.