March 21, 2001: Memorials


Adolph William Schmidt '26

The death of Dolph Schmidt concludes the career and life of one of our most noted members.

After graduation he studied in France and Germany, winning honors. He then entered Harvard business school, graduating in 1929. Returning home to Pittsburgh, he headed a municipal campaign to better the city. When WWI broke out, he volunteered for active duty, and, as a lieutenant-colonel, he commanded OSS operations in Africa. After the war he became a vice president and governor of the management firm T. Mellon and Sons, in Pittsburgh. Pres. Eisenhower appointed him our ambassador to Canada, where he served for five years.

If only there was space to tell of all the organizations in which Dolph was interested. They include cofounder of World Crisis Committee, and he was the US delegate to numerous conferences seeking greater Atlantic solidarity.

Dolph married Helen Mellon, who survives. Other survivors are his son, Thomas, a daughter, Sedgley Claire, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

The Class of 1926


CHARLES W. FARNUM '31

Dusty died Dec. 30, 2000, in Vero Beach after a brief illness. Prior to his arrival at Princeton, he attended the Blue Ridge School in Hendersonville, N.C., and Kent in Kent, Conn.

At Princeton, Dusty won the W. Lyman Biddle Scholarship, Princeton Club of New York Prize for freshmen, Class of 1870 Prize in Old English, Class of 1879 Junior Prize in English, and was Phi Beta Kappa, a member of the Press Club, and vice president of Campus Club.

Dusty joined Bankers Trust shortly after graduation and remained with the bank until he retired in 1972 as an executive vice president and director, except for one interruption. In 1943 he joined the Navy and served on the eastern sea frontier and the Pacific. He was ground officer of an aircraft squadron, which was carrier-based on the USS Lexington, and was discharged in Jan. 1946 as a lieutenant.

He was intensely interested in the class, serving as president from 1976-81, and was an ex-officio member of the Princeton Alumni Council. In 1968 he received the Man of the Year award from the class.

Dusty lost both of his wives: Dorothy Whitney in 1965 and Charlotte Rappolt in 1987. Surviving are three children, three stepchildren, one nephew, seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. The class extends its deepest sympathy to the entire family.

The Class of 1931


Abraham S. Bickham jr. '32

Bud Bickham died Nov. 18, 2000, leaving no survivors of whom we are aware. At Princeton he studied electrical engineering and was a member of Court Club. He worked for the A. O. Smith Corp. in Tipp City, Ohio, retiring in 1974. In retirement he audited courses in physics and mathematics at the U. of Dayton, served as foreman of the Montgomery County [Ohio] Grand Jury for four months in early 1980, helped guide visiting dignitaries to the Dayton Council on World Affairs to places of local interest, tried, with little success, to understand the economic plans of our federal government, played tennis (doubles) in the summer and squash in the winter, but not very well, and traveled moderately.

The Class of 1932


Andrew Douglas Hall '32

Doug, an investment banker, inventor, and connoisseur of old clocks, died Dec. 10, 2000, in Durham, N.C. He was 90.

Doug attended Kent School before coming to Princeton, where he was a member of Quadrangle Club. He started his career as an investment banker with Bonbright & Co. and, four years later, moved to Morgan Stanley & Co. In 1945 he joined Diamond Match Co., subsequently Diamond Intl. He was elected vice president and assistant treasurer in 1949. In 1950 he was elected financial vice president, and in 1952 he was elected a director. He resigned as an officer in 1959 and became a partner of Morgan Stanley & Co. In 1962 he relinquished his partnership to become financial vice president of Stauffer Chemical Co., where he was elected a director in 1962. In 1967 he resigned from Stauffer Chemical and continued in the field as a consultant.

Doug was predeceased by his wife, who died in 1997. He is survived by two sons, Andrew Jr. and Benjamin, three daughters, Emlen Hall Ehrlich, Anne Hall, and Lindsey Cohn, nine grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter, to whom the class send its condolences.

The Class of 1932


John W. Woods '32

Woody Woods of Gettysburg, died Aug. 26, 2000, at his home. He was 91.

He was the oldest member of Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church, in Gettysburg. He graduated from Mercersburg Academy in 1928 before coming to Princeton, where he was on the rifle team, the pistol club, and was a member of Whig Hall. He was a lifelong farmer in Freedom Township.

He is survived by his wife, Doris Strong Woods, one son, Joseph J., and one daughter, Mary W. Haag, to whom the class sends its condolences.

The Class of 1932


Edmund Thomas Delaney '33

Ed Delaney died in Chester, Conn., on Dec. 17, 2000. He was 86. Ed had mild dementia. He had left his home one afternoon and did not return. A search by scout troops and two fire departments resulted in the discovery of his body in a nearby stream, where he had apparently fallen.

Ed practiced law in New York for 30 years. In 1970 he moved to Chester, a town which came to love him and his wife, Barbara, for the active support and beneficence they gave to it. Ed was described by friends as an attorney, a military intelligence officer, historian, writer, and benefactor. He attended town meetings, to which he contributed his constructive wisdom. He and Barbara served as presidents of the Chester Historical Society and were instrumental in helping to preserve the old Chester Meeting House.

Ed loved to write, all the way back to the days of his thesis at Princeton. He considered it an addiction. He wrote a hallmark book, The Connecticut River, in addition to several books on the histories of neighborhoods in New Torl (including Greenwich). In 1994 he wrote an autobiography entitled Me Vola.

The family Ed acquired in Chester and his very own family will miss Ed very much. Barbara survives him, as do children Topher and Nick, and five grandchildren.

The Class of 1933


John Reed Welsh '36

A resident of Sedona, Ariz., Jack Welsh died Mar. 2, 2000, after a brief illness. He prepared at Loomis School, and while at Princeton he majored in engineering and was a member of Tower Club. Soon after graduation Jack joined American Brake Shoe Co. and retired after 32 years of service.

Jack will be remembered in many ways - as the gentle man and loving husband of Elizabeth for 45 years; the father of Gary, who called him "Pop"; the customer of the drive-in bank teller who affectionately called him "Grumpy"; the best friend of a man who called him "Action Jackson"; the man who explored the Southwest with good friends in their RVs; and the man with the warm brown eyes that had failed him, but endeared him to his bridge partners.

As a young man Jack was an avid skier following the snows of upstate New York, a scratch golfer who was narrowly defeated by Ben Hogan in a regional tournament, a cross-country pilot in the days of Lindbergh, and a Navy lieutenant during WWII.

He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, son Gary, daughter-in-law Carol Welsh, and two grandchildren, Geoffrey and Kira.

The Class of 1936


Edward Lane Groff '37

Enthusiastic alumnus and fire equipment expert Lane Groff has died. He first married Juanita Sikes in 1942 and had daughters Valerie in 1944 and Susan in 1946. His second wife was Maxine, and they had son Lane III in 1969.

At Lawrenceville, Lane was active in musical clubs. At Princeton, he majored in economics and was manager of the student milk agency, a cadet officer in the ROTC, and a member of Terrace Club.

His ROTC appointment in 1941 took him initially through 40 states and a hatful of Army camps before shipping out with a field artillery battalion on the western front in Europe. In battles in France and central Europe, he acted as forward observer with Patch's Seventh Army. He was awarded a Bronze Star for meritorious service and was discharged in 1945 as a first lieutenant.

Next came working as an industrial engineer for RCA Victor. In 1961 he formed the Carolina Fire Equipment Co., sold in 1966, and then was with Pyrene-C-O-Two as territory representative for fire equipment in four southern states. He also operated a fast-food operation in the Greenville area. Next came 21 years in the automobile- and truck-rental business and then back to Carolina Fire Equipment.

In 1958 he was president of the Princeton Alumni Assn. of South Carolina.

The Class of 1937


Peter C. Pumyea Jr. '37

Pete Pumyea, who died July 20, 2000, came to Princeton from Lawrenceville but left at the end of freshman year, having been a monitor during the history lecture period and a program salesman.

He worked for Sheffield Farms Co. for five years and then a year with Otis Elevator Co. before he was drafted in 1943 and racked up one of our outstanding service records, in bomb disposal. After preliminary training he was transferred to the European Theater of Operations, traveling through central Europe, northern France, and the Rhineland, ending up in Regensburg, Germany. He received three campaign stars and was given the Silver Star for gallantry in action against the enemy in Germany. He came out unscathed as a technical sergeant in 1946.

He decided not to return to either of his companies but set himself up as a life insurance agent in Brooklyn, living in New York, with the side interest of philatelist. He was then with Prudential Insurance Co. until he retired in 1979.

Pete married Louise in 1938 but was predeceased, leaving him with sons Peter III and Fred.

The Class of 1937


DESIDERIO XAVIER PARRENO '38

Our distinguished classmate and valedictorian, Desi Parreno, died Aug. 27, 2000, in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Desi was born in Santiago de Cuba and attended the Newman School in Lakewood, N.J. At Princeton he majored in English, won the Class of 1870 Junior Prize in English literature, and graduated with high honors and Phi Beta Kappa. He was also Nassau Lit board chair, a Daily Princetonian columnist, and a member of Dial Lodge.

In our Ten Years Out book, Desi reported that he was president of his own company, La Maritima, S. A., comprised of a shipping terminal and bonded warehouses, and that he was also on the board of a nonprofit organization which presented plays to a subscription audience in Havana. During this period he also wrote short stories that appeared in Liberty magazine.

After the 1959 Castro takeover of all his property in Cuba, Desi moved to Spain, where he lived for 20 years, then moved to Costa Rica in 1980.

Desi never married and is not known to be survived by any close relatives. His brother, Albert J. '41, predeceased him in 1972.

The Class of 1938


WILLIAM PURVIANCE TAMS '38

Bill died on Dec. 14, 2000, in Jackson Hole, Wyo., his vacation home since 1937 and permanent retirement home.

At Princeton, Bill was manager of our varsity track team, belonged to Charter Club, and graduated with a degree (Phi Beta Kappa) in chemistry.

His entire working career was spent with DuPont in Wilmington, Del., mostly centered in research and development and preparation of new ventures.

As secretary of our class for over 31 years, Bill will be remembered fondly by the many classmates with whom he corresponded so faithfully, as well as for his constant appearances at our reunions, where he often played his trumpet with our 8-Ball jazz band.

Wherever he lived, Bill was deeply involved in his community life through his church and his music. Bill's wife of 60 years, Helen, predeceased him in 1997, and his son, Robert, was an early Vietnam casualty. Bill is survived by his sister, Sarah Kreker, his daughter-in-law, Kathryn Tams, his son, James, and grandchildren Sarah, Robert, and William Tams, as well as his many classmates, all of whom will severely miss his lifelong friendship, generosity, and kindness.

The Class of 1938


Frederic Leake Jr. '39

Ted died July 7, 2000, in Beaufort, S.C., where he had moved after he retired from a 40-year association with NL Industries (National Lead) located in Charleston, W.Va. He married Frances Dean Reed in 1942. In the same year he was commissioned an ensign USNR but received a medical discharge in 1943. They had two sons, Frederic III and Dean, and a daughter, Ann, before they divorced. In 1956 Ted married Ann "Mitzi" Detamore, with whom he had a second daughter, Susan. What we know of Ted's life comes largely from what he wrote of it in our major reunion books. Coming to us from Exeter, he majored in chemical engineering and was a member of Ivy. He said his athletics were strictly limited to golf and claimed to be as inactive as he could possibly arrange things. He was a member of the Royal Pines Golf Club and the Princeton and Exeter Alumni Associations.

He is survived by his two sons and two daughters, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, and his sister, Shirley Tower. We offer them our sincere sympathy.

The Class of 1939


MARIUS BERTHUS JANSEN '44

Marius died Dec. 10, 2000. He was born in the Netherlands, coming to Princeton from Wrentham [Massachusetts] H.S. He majored in history at Princeton, graduating in 1943 summa cum laude; he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Following three years of military service in Okinawa and Japan as a member of Army counter intelligence, he turned his interest from European to Japanese history, earning his doctorate at Harvard. He began teaching at the U. of Washington. He came to Princeton in 1959, where he directed the program in East Asian studies (1962- 68) and was the first chair of the new department of East Asian studies (1969-72).

Marius received many honors, including the Behrman Award for excellence in the teaching of humanities, the presidency of the Assn. for Asian Studies, and, from the Emperor of Japan, the Order of the Sacred Treasure. He wrote over 20 books, including Sakainoto Ryoina and the Meiji Restoration, and in 2000 Harvard U. Press published his magisterial The Making of Modern Japan.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Jean Hamilton Jansen, his daughter, Maria, and three grandchildren. To them and to his many former students and classmates to whom he meant so much, the class extends regrets.

The Class of 1944


Graduate Deaths

Lawrence J. Lincoln *37, Civil Engineering, June 27, 2000

Craig Thompson Stockdale *34, Economics, July 3, 2000

William Jacob Newman *50, History, July 9, 2000

Robert Benjamin Sutton *36, Mathematics, July 15, 2000

Jonathan Newbold Hough *31, Classics, July 22, 2000

John Rupert Martin *47, Art & Archaeology, July 26, 2000

John Wilder Tukey *39, Mathematics, July 26, 2000

Mohammed A. Dahleh *87, Applied & Computational Math, July 29, 2000

Arthur Harold Stone *41, Mathematics, Aug. 6, 2000