Wilbur Hinton worked for the City of Las Angeles Bridge Division after graduating from the University of Colorado in 1964 with a degree in Architectural Engineering. In 1966 he enlisted in the Navy Seabees and later received an appointment to Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I. where he received his Navy Civil Engineer Corps commission. He served with MCB 11 (SEABEES) in Vietnam and was also Officer in Charge of Seabee Team 1111. After leaving the Navy in 1970, he went to work for the Ken R. White Company in Denver, now U.R.S., where he eventually became the Chief Bridge Engineer.