A. Edward Conover '21
A. Edward Conover, an engineer and a poet, died Dec. 4, 1995, at the Friends Village home in Newtown, Penn., where he had been living since 1981.
Ed maintained a lifelong interest in Princeton and was secretary and treasurer of the class for many years. As an undergraduate, he prepared for a career in engineering, was on the track team, and won a Phi Beta Kappa key. He then took a year of mechanical engineering at Columbia Univ. He married Margaret Gabel (Smith College). They had two children.
Ed first worked with the Central Foundry Co. and then spent 34 rewarding years with HewittRobins, a plant-design company. He was both an engineer and a salesman, and was a composite executive. One of his chief engineering achievements was the design of two huge "shake-outs," handling 100 tons of steel for Sherman tank bodies during WWII. He was also a longtime member of the executive committee of the Princeton Engineering Assn.
Upon retirement, Ed took consulting assignments, including a memorable one in the Atacana desert of Chile. At age 88, he developed a latent poetic streak and produced four chapbooks of poems. Ed is survived by his daughter, Joyce Sutherland, his son, Gerret B., six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
The Class of 1921

W. Finley McElroy '27
W. Finley McElroy died Jan. 25, 1996, from many infirmities at his home in Clayton, Mo.
Mac came to Princeton from St. Louis Country Day School. At Princeton he was manager of the rifle team and a member of the Polity Club, Whig Hall, and Arbor Inn Club. He roomed with Bill Hitschler and Joel Berrall in his upperclass years. After graduation, he worked as a stockbroker, becoming a partner in the firm of A. G. Edwards & Sons in St. Louis. He served them for 55 years, becoming a v.p. and director.
In WWII, he entered the Army Air Corps as a second lieutenant and came out as a captain with 21 months of service in the Mediterranean theater, eight battle stars, and two presidential citations. He specialized in training aviators to use air-rescue equipment.
He became a director of the Natl. Insurance Underwriters of Clayton after the war, while continuing as an A. G. Edwards partner. His firm was the largest brokerage house west of the Hudson River and he saw the number of its employees grow from 35 to 6,000. He retired in 1989.
Mac traveled around the world, including visits to Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, India, China, Europe, South Africa, and Morocco. Mac never married. He is survived by a brother, David B., and two sisters, Jane McCain and Ruth Childress, to whom our class sends its sympathy.
The Class of 1927

R. Marshall Truitt Jr. '27
R. Marshall Truitt MD died Dec. 17, 1995, in Philadelphia after a long illness.
Marshall prepared at Germantown Academy. At Princeton he was a member of Arbor Inn Club. He earned his MD from the Univ. of Pennsylvania Medical School. In WWII, he was a lieutenant in the Navy Medical Corps, served with the Seabees in Hawaii and Guam, and came out as a commander.
He married Eleanor MacDonald in 1940. After the war, he worked on the staffs of the Pennsylvania, Germantown, and Chestnut Hill Hospitals. He taught at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.
He and his wife were world travelers. On one trip, they were on a tourist boat on the Amazon River when their guide caught a caimm (alligator) which bit his arm, severing an artery. To save the guide's life, Marshall sewed up the arm with a needle and silk thread from Eleanor's handbag and then navigated the boat back to its landing.
In Cawnpore, India, the Maharajah loaned the Truitts his private elephant. On his travels, Marshall often treated natives without accepting payment.
In his last years, Marshall underwent a coronary bypass; he became blind, but he was cheerful despite his infirmities. He is survived by his devoted wife and his daughter, Julia. To them, the class extends much sympathy in its loss of a colorful classmate.
The Class of 1927

Joseph Edwin Blanton '29 *32
Joe died Apr. 9, 1995, in Albany, Tex. He prepared at Central H.S. in Washington, D.C., and transferred to Princeton from George Washington Univ. in 1926. In his senior year, he roomed with his brother, W. William W. Blanton '32. He received an MFA in architecture from Princeton.
He was a lieutenant commander in the Navy, and after the war turned to ranching in Albany, Tex., and was owner and manager of the Horse Creek Ranch. Joe had great interest in pipe organs and combined that with his architectural knowledge to produce a book, The Organ in Church Design.
The class extends sincere sympathy to Joe's family.
The Class of 1929

Carl Rogge Hilgenberg '29
Hilgy died Oct. 12, 1995. Most of his life had been in Baltimore, where he prepared at Gilman. At Princeton his roommates were Jack Sadtler and Towney Wilder. He left Princeton in June 1928 to work with the Carr-Lowrey Glass Co., of which he became v.p. in 1942.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Rianhard Hilgenberg and by a daughter, Elizabeth Heminway, and two sons, Carl and John. The class extends sincere sympthy to Hilgy's family.
The Class of 1929

Ellis Duncan '31
Ellis Duncan, a retired surgeon, died in Louisville Nov. 26, 1995. He prepared at Lawrenceville, and he played football and baseball both there and at Princeton, where he belonged to the Cap and Gown Club. After graduation he studied medicine at Univ. of Louisville, earning his MD degree.
Having spent 11/2 years in Columbia, Mo., he returned to Louisville for the private practice of surgery. He became a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and the American College of Surgeons; he was affiliated with the AMA, state and county medical associations, the Louisville Surgical Society and Medical Society, and the Medical Forum. He published various articles on surgery.
During WWII, he spent over four years with the Army Medical Corps, served as chief of surgery in a hospital in East Africa, and was discharged as major.
About 1980 he was mayor of Fremont, Iowa, and belonged to the Fremont Lions. He was a director of St. Matthew's Community Center in Louisville and a member of St. Matthew's Rotary and the Filson Club (the Kentucky Historical Society). El's favorite hobby was golf, and he belonged to the Louisville Country Club.
He is survived by his wife, Abby Stewart; his sister, Anne D. Wyatt; three sons, Ellis IV, Robert W., and Anthony R.; and six grandchildren. The members of the class and his club, who will miss him a lot extend, sincere sympathy to all the family.
The Class of 1931

David T. Dana Jr. '32
Dave Dana died of pneumonia Dec. 19, 1995, at Fox Hill Village retirement community in Westwood, Mass. He had been a lifetime resident of Lenox until moving to Marion, Mass., 20 years ago. He graduated from Princeton in 1934, after an interruption for illness.
Dave spent a lengthy career in banking, as a trustee of the Pittsfield Natl. Bank and v.p. and trustee of the Lenox Savings Bank. During WWII, he worked for the E. D. Jones Co. in Pittsfield, Mass., making parts for Navy ships.
For 34 years he was a member of the board of governors of the Lenox Library Assn., and for many years was its treasurer and president. He had a lifetime active interest in education, serving on the Lenox school committee, was a trustee of the Lenox School for Boys, and was one of the founders of the Berkshire County Day School in Lenox.
Dave is survived by his wife, Gladys, whom he married in 1974; a daughter, Rosamond Putsch; a son, David T. III '59, seven grandchildren, five stepchildren, and 11 step-grandchildren. The class extends its sincere sympathy to all of them.
The Class of 1932

James H. Rowbotham '32
Jim Rowbotham, who might be called Mr. Princeton '32, died of pneumonia Jan. 18, 1996, in Devon, Penn.
Jim's entire business career was spent with Atlantic Richfield Co., where he ended up as manager of industrial products marketing, retiring in 1975. During WWII, Jim commanded a Field Artillery battalion in the Pacific, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He continued in the Army Reserve and the Pennsylvania Natl. Guard after the war and retired in 1971 as a brigadier general.
He was director of United Way's Federal Employees' Campaign for southeastern Pennsylvania, a director of the Radnor Fire Co. and chairman of its finance committee, and an elder of the Wayne Presbyterian Church.
Most meaningful to us, however, was his extraordinary service to Princeton and our class. He served for seven years on the executive committee of the Alumni Council, chaired the Council's class affairs and reunions committee, was Annual Giving chairman for the greater Philadelphia area for four years, and a v.p. of the Princeton Club of Philadelphia. He ran every reunion for our class for 35 years until he was disabled by strokes.
Surviving are his wife of 60 years, Ruth; his son, James K.; his daughter, Sally Bedell Smith; and three grandchildren. We sympathize with them in the loss of this man who so well served his country and his university.
The Class of 1932

J. Bradley Green '33
Chip Green died Nov. 1, 1995. He grew up in East Orange, N.J., and was one of five of our classmates who came to Princeton from East Orange H.S. He was a member of Cannon Club. He roomed with Dave Bluhm and then with Dave Ludlum, his lifelong friend. He was active on the Bric-a-Brac and the Nassau Herald, both of which he served as editor.
Chip spent most of his career, specifically the period from 1941-68, with Morgan Guarantee in NYC. He lived in Ridgewood, N.J., during those years and was a trustee of Valley Hospital there. He was an active member of St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church in Upper Ridgewood. For recreation, he was a most enthusiastic fly fisherman.
Chip retired early to read history and to travel, and he and his wife, Marion, ranged the world, paying particular attention to art museums. In 1990 they moved to Meadow Lakes in Hightstown, N.J., to be near Princeton, and Chip dutifully took on the assignment of class treasurer.
He is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Marion Wermouth Green, by his son, John Bradley Green Jr., and by his daughters, Elizabeth G. Werner and Priscilla G. Pope, to whom we extend our sympathy.
The Class of 1933

Robert Wood Long '33
Bob Long died Dec. 9. 1995, in Colorado Springs, Colo. He prepared at Kansas City Country Day School. Bob was a swimmer on the freshman and varsity teams, president of the Civil Engineering Society, and a member of Cannon Club. He roomed all four years with Frank Dean.
After Harvard Business School, he worked for Long Construction Co. and was involved in many projects in Kansas City and in four military installations, for which the company earned the Army/Navy E Award. He served in the Navy in Bremerton, Wash., where he was in charge of construction. Later, Bob was director of construction for NASA during the Mercury Moon Project, served in a sales capacity for three international construction firms, and worked for IDS Real Estate Investment Trust disposing of distressed property.
Bob was able, enthusiastic, energetic, and high spirited, and he was a loyal alumnus. Last fall PAW published in the Oct. 25 class notes his account of how his father, John Coleman Long '03, came to Princeton from Kansas City and how he supported the university in later life.
Bob is survived by Louise, his wife of over 50 years, sons David and Charles Long, daughters Jane Borghi and Marcia Long, and by his brother Marshall Long '37 *38, to all of whom the class extends its sympathy.
The Class of 1933

William Anderson Gray '34
Bill Gray, whose true vocations, according to his family, were hunting, fishing, and tennis, in each of which he was expert, died Jan. 3, 1996, at his home in Santa Cruz, Calif. From 1945-94 he lived in Albuquerque, N. Mex., where he was an officer of the Tennis Club of Albuquerque, the HYP Club, the Fish & Wildlife Assn., Ducks Unlimited, and the Albuquerque Zoo. He moved to Santa Cruz, following a series of strokes, to be near his daughters and their families.
In WWII, Bill was in the Naval Reserve and was a purchasing agent for Ohio Tubular, a war plant. After his marriage in 1940 to Anna Lee Peters, the couple moved from Ohio to New Mexico, where they settled in Albuquerque. There Bill worked as a sales manager for Blue Cross of New Mexico and later Con Mutual of Omaha.
Survivors include Anna, a 1937 Ohio State graduate and a sister of Mary Larsen; two daughters, Mary Anderson Miles and Susan Peters Meschi, and three grandchildren. To them we offer our sincere sympathies. A family memorial service was held in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and Bill's ashes were to be scattered near his beloved trout pond in Ruidoso, N. Mex.
The Class of 1934

Borden R. Putnam '43 *44
Borden died Feb. 5, 1996, at his home in Franklin Lakes, N.J. He was 73. His death resulted from Parkinson's disease complications and recent surgery.
A native of Washington, D.C., Put came to Princeton from Queens, N.Y., and received a degree in chemical engineering. Following WWII service in the Pacific as a lieutenant (j.g.) USNR, he received his master's from Princeton in chemical engineering.
Borden began his career with American Cyanamid of Wayne, N.J., in 1947, and rose through the ranks until his retirement in 1982. At that time, he was a senior v.p. and member of the board of directors.
From 1982-90, Borden was in the administration of New Jersey Governor Tom Kean '57 as the state's first commissioner of commerce and economic development. He played a major role in shifting New Jersey's economic base from manufacturing to services and high technology.
"He presided over the largest growth in the state's history-three quarters of a million jobs," said Kean. "Great numbers of people working in the state today really owe their thanks to Borden Putnam."
Borden's wife of 43 years, Jean, predeceased him on Jan. 23. Borden is survived by a son, Borden III; two daughters, Ashley Putnam and Andrea Orchard; a sister, Mary Follette; his stepmother, Frances Wisenant Putnam, and seven grandchildren. The class extends its deep sympathy.
The Class of 1943

John L. Heath '46
John Heath died at home in Lake Forest, Ill., Sept. 12, 1995, after a long and courageous struggle against cancer. John grew up in Highland Park, Ill., and attended school there before moving to Hill School and thence to Princeton. After John served in the Navy for three years, he returned to Princeton and was a member of Tiger Inn.
John started his career with the Hearst publications. In 1954 he joined Time magazine in Chicago, handling advertising. In 1963 he became district manager in Cleveland, and in 1968 he became Midwest division manager for Time, a post he held until he retired in 1983. John was active in many civic organizations in Lake Forest; he was a member of the executive board of directors of the Lake Forest Journal.
John leaves his wife, Jill Taylor Heath; three children, Mark, Jeff, and Julie McBride, and five grandchildren. A memorial service was held at the First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield, Ill. The class sends its sympathy to Jill and her family and remembers John as a devoted and loyal member of the class.
The Class of 1946

Perkins Wilson '51
Perk died of cancer on Nov. 2, 1995, shortly after a memorable trip he and Mimi took to the eastern Mediterranean.
Not only was he an outstanding business lawyer in Richmond, he was an assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1979-82. He was also an authority on ancient and modern languages. He developed a system for simplifying gender for foreign language students and wrote noun gender guides for the Romance, German, Dutch, Latin, classical Greek, Gothic and Sanskrit languages. He was a past president of the Richmond chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America and of the Antiquarian Society of Richmond.
Perk graduated cum laude from Deerfield. At Princeton, he majored in history, was a member of Colonial Club, and roomed with Clark Myers, David Chang, John Mott, Larry Davis, and John Schullinger.
At his memorial service, Perk's children spoke fondly of his old-school sartorial style, his love of words and language, his wit which touched the lives of many, his familial generosity, and his eternal optimism-for him the glass was always half-full.
In addition to Mimi, Perk is survived by his sons Rip '82 and William, daughter Liz, and brother Samuel '46. The class extends condolences to Mimi and her family and honors Perk as an exemplary lawyer and scholar.
The Class of 1951

George Kreider Thomas '53
Our friend George died Dec. 9, 1995, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Danville, Ill.
He was born Sept. 23, 1930, in Birmingham, Ala. The family moved to Springfield, Ill., and George graduated from Lake Forest Academy.
At Princeton he roomed with Lew Kleinhans III, Gren Paynter, Jerry Wilson, and Dick Drayton. He was a member of Charter Club and majored in economics. George's father, Benjamin P. Thomas, was a noted scholar and writer of what is considered the best one-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln. The elder Thomas spent summers in New Jersey, where he met Lewis Kleinhans Jr. '25. They became lifelong friends and vowed that their sons would go to Princeton. George and Lew III did not let their fathers down.
And as Gren Paynter, whose father Richard K. Paynter Jr. was also Class of '25, pointed out, George did not let Princeton down. He never missed an Annual Giving roll call. Survivors include George's mother, Salome Thomas; two sisters, Martha Barthel and Sarah Thomas; four nieces, and three nephews.
Those wishing to express sympathy may contribute to Class of '53 Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Asst. Treas. Frederick E. Crispin Jr., 3 Cedarbrook Terr., Princeton, NJ 08540.
The Class of 1953

Howard Schell Reilly '55
One classmate who seemed to have a shot at the U.S. presidency was Howard Reilly, who died May 31, 1995. As a sophomore president of the WhigCliosophic Society, he buttonholed six U.S. senators to come to Princeton to critique the first Eisenhower administration, including Jack Kennedy and Wayne Morse. On Class Day, he held forth in Alexander Hall before our jaded, knowing bunch, noting the tireless reseeding and re-sodding of Holder Court every spring and other common experiences, drawing laughter and tears.
Howard was not just one of 32 Rhodes Scholars nationwide. He was their leader. A Philadelphian, he chose to go west after graduation to broaden his horizons-by working at the dog track in Denver.
After Oxford and Harvard Law School, Howard returned to Denver to work for the leading law firm. A few years later he made an abrupt career change, moving to NYC to become an actor, persisting for several years, often doing menial labor to sustain himself. He then made another major move to study runic languages and cultures in Iceland.
His last 15 years were devoted to providing counsel to migratory farm workers and others at Mid
Hudson Legal services in Poughkeepsie. A brilliant and giving man, he also generously assisted Princeton Project 55. Even while dying of AIDS, his courage and spirit and sense of humor did not leave him.
The Class of 1955