Lyman Sessions Willardson began life on May 10, 1927 in rural Ephraim, Utah. He spent his childhood living in Ephraim where he attended grade school, secondary school and eventually received a two-year engineering degree from Snow Junior College. The same year he graduated from Snow College, 1948, Lyman married Vivian Berry. Lyman then enrolled at the Utah State Agricultural College (USAC) where he graduated in 1950 with a bachelor’s of civil engineering. He also earned his master’s degree from the USAC in 1955.

After completing his graduate degree, Lyman secured employment with the United Fruit Company which required him to work in the Dominican Republic and Honduras as an irrigation engineer. Lyman returned to Utah State University in 1957 to work for the USDA Research Service. Ever a lifelong learner, Lyman earned his doctorate degree in agricultural engineering from Ohio State University in 1967. Upon completing his doctoral degree, the Willardsons moved to the Imperial Valley California where Lyman continued to work for the USDA.

In 1974, Lyman again returned to Utah State University this time as a professor of irrigation and drainage engineering. In addition to serving the community as an educator and researcher, Lyman also involved himself with local development. Lyman served as a member for the Logan City Water and Sewer Board and the Logan City Water Advisory Board in the 1990s and early 2000s. He lent his expertise in drainage and irrigation to help develop a new sewage and sewage disposal system. Lyman passed away on October 4, 2005.