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April 4, 2007: Memorials
RALPH S. CANNON ’31 *35
Ralph died Dec. 2, 2006, at Hearthstone Manor in Woodstock, Ill. Joyce, his wife of 41 years, was by his side.
Ralph graduated from Mercersburg Academy with honors in 1927. At Princeton he majored in geology and graduated with honors prior to earning a master’s from Northwestern in 1933 and a Ph.D. from Princeton in 1935, also in geology. As an undergraduate, he was a member of Elm Club and during his final three years roomed at 40-50 Patton with Glenn Andrews, Mid Rutledge, W.H. Gillespie Jr. and Tex Young ’29.
Ralph spent most of his career with the U.S. Geological Survey in various administrative and research capacities. He was based initially in Washington, D.C., and later in Denver. His primary interest was in lead isotope geochemistry, in which he was a pioneer and internationally acknowledged expert.
In addition to being an avid outdoorsman and naturalist, Ralph was an accomplished horseman and began a second career in the 1950s, raising appaloosa horses in Colorado and Spruce Pine, N.C. He was a co-founder of the Sundance 500 Breeders Association and was still breaking horses in his late 60s.
Ralph is survived by Joyce, daughter Susan Torres, stepdaughter Nancy Drowley, stepson Jeffrey Olson, 11 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. To them all, the class extends sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1931
Burton H. Etherington ’33
Burt, president of the Class of 1933 in its first 10 fledgling years, died Dec. 19, 2006.
He was born in Philadelphia. After he graduated from Princeton with a bachelor’s in English, he pursued a career in the newspaper industry. He worked for The Times of Trenton, N.J., and covered the Lindbergh kidnapping case. He joined a textile firm that was later named after his brother and him, and they ran the business for 44 years.
Burt’s lovely wife, Margaret Lowe Etherington, predeceased him. He is survived by three sons, Burton III, John, and Russell ’67; seven grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and his brother, Frederick. Burt was a very outgoing person with many friends, great activities, and many hobbies. We will miss him very much.
The Class of 1933
Charles Carr Jr. ’36
Charlie died Dec. 24, 2005, in Columbus, N.C., just before his 91st birthday.
He was a graduate of Webster Groves (Mo.) High School. At Princeton he majored in English and played varsity football on our championship teams of 1933, 1934, and 1935, which suffered only one defeat during those three years. He also played varsity rugby and was a member of Tiger Inn.
During World War II, Charlie served four years in the Army Air Corps in England and France, rising to the rank of major. After the war he returned to the International Shoe Co. in St. Louis, serving 34 years as a sales representative for New England.
He raised his family in Weston, Mass., and retired in 1978. He then moved to Tryon, N.C. He was a lifetime member of the Weston Golf Club and the Tryon Country Club. While living in Weston, he was president of the Princeton Club of New England.
Charlie was predeceased by his sister, Inez Comfort. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, the former Virginia B. Powers; sons Charles III ’73, Bruce C., and John T.; a granddaughter, Liz Rudd; and two great-grandchildren.
The Class of 1936
Elkan Rogers Blout ’39
Elkan died of pneumonia Dec. 20, 2006, in Boston.
After leaving Princeton, completing his Ph.D. at Columbia, and then doing postdoctoral research at Harvard, he joined a modern research-oriented industrial company — Polaroid. In the 19 years he was there, he participated in some exciting developments including the Polaroid Land Camera and the chemistry for the color version of that camera. In 1962 he accepted an offer to embark on biochemical research at Harvard, studying peptides and polypeptides. From 1978-89 he was dean for academic affairs at the Harvard School of Public Health, and next served as treasurer of the National Academy of Sciences for 12 years.
In the 1990s he became senior adviser for science at the Food and Drug Administration. He was awarded a National Medal of Science in 1990. He retired from Harvard in 1991. His favorite escape from Cambridge was his summer retreat on Cuttyhunk Island, Mass., where he enjoyed deep-sea fishing.
Elkan is survived by his wife, Gail; their daughter, Darya; three children from his first marriage, James, William, and Susan; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. To all of them, we offer our deep sympathy, even as we celebrate the astonishing accomplishments of Elkan’s well-lived life.
The Class of 1939
Fredrick Reinhardt Snyder ’39
Fred died Oct. 21, 2006, at Reading (Pa.) Hospital after suffering a sudden, massive cranial bleed. Although he had diabetes for several years, he was active and in generally good health right up to the time of his death.
Fred was born in Reading and lived there all his life. After graduating from Princeton he attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He also attended Harvard Law School and served in the Army Signal Corps in the South Pacific. He was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 1943, Berks County Court of Common Pleas in 1943, U.S. District Court in 1966, and the Supreme Court of the United States in 1968. He was associated with various local law firms until he founded his own office in 1968, continuing to work there until his retirement in 2004. He served as secretary of the Princeton Alumni Association of Eastern Pennsylvania, and worked for many other civic organizations.
Fred married Marian Knabb Schaffer in 1966. Together they traveled extensively, visiting more than 70 countries in 39 trips throughout the world. Marian survives, and we offer her our sincere sympathy.
The Class of 1939
Henry B. Chalmers ’40
Hank, a longtime resident of New Orleans, died Jan. 11, 2007.
He prepared at Pawling School and was preceded at Princeton by his relatives T.P. Handy ’13, Alan R. Chalmers ’15, T.K. Chalmers ’33, and J.G. Chalmers ’34. At Princeton, he majored in geological engineering. He also attended Texas State Schools of Mines and received a certificate in paralegal studies from Tulane University and a bachelor’s in sociology from the University of New Orleans.
Hank served as a lieutenant with the 129th Army Air Force during World War II. He continued in the Army Air Force Reserve, retiring as a colonel. He was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service.
From 1950 to 1984 he was employed by Shell Oil Co. in oil exploration. As he reported in our 50th-reunion book, “I finally got free and clear [for the travel, sports and jazz he loved]. It’s been fun, and if the rewards in the next life are half as good, I’ll count myself extremely blessed.”
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Patricia Everet Silo Chalmers; six sons, Henry, Christopher, Gordon, Quentin, Robert, and James; three daughters, Charlotte Smithers, Wendy Dickey, and Stephanie Barat O’Rourke; a sister, Faith Daiak; 23 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
The Class of 1940
Cornelius F. Froeb ’40
Neil died at his home in Annapolis Jan. 9, 2007, of congestive heart failure after a monthlong illness.
He graduated from Choate School, following his relative E.L. Shea ’16 to Princeton.
He majored in engineering geology, was on the 150-pound varsity crew, and joined Colonial Club. He served in the Navy as a lieutenant from 1943 to 1945 in the North Atlantic and Pacific theaters. From 1940
until 1943, Neil worked for Republic Aviation as a manufacturing engineer. From 1947 to 1980 he managed various departments for City Service Natural Gas Co. in numerous locations.
Neil was an avid sailor and lived on his boat, Merlyn, in Chesapeake Bay, while teaching sailing and celestial navigation at the Naval Academy. He was a past president of the Princeton Alumni Association of the Eastern Shore and a member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chestertown, Md.
In his later years, with his second wife, Catherine, Neil said, “Merlyn is gone, replaced by a small, comfortable house.”
Neil and his first wife, Carol Wildermuth Froeb, were divorced in 1980. His classmates express their sympathies to his survivors: Catherine; sons Peter and John Froeb and John and Roland Hill; daughters Susan Papillon and Ann Hill Maxmill; a brother, Herman Froeb; 14 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
The Class of 1940
Joseph A. Gilleaudeau ’40
Joe, husband of the late Louise Shanahan Gilleaudeau, died Jan. 4, 2007, in Doylestown, Pa.
He was a graduate of St. George’s School of Newport, R.I. At Princeton, he majored in history, was on the freshman soccer team, aided in the Student-Faculty Association Canvass, was a member of the Catholic Club, and was vice president of Quadrangle Club.
He served in the Army, being assigned to the European theater and reaching the rank of captain. Upon discharge, he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal.
During Joe’s business career in New York City, he was associated with W.R. Grace & Co., followed by the Publication Corp., a gravure-printing firm. There he was corporate secretary and oversaw labor relations. During his later years, he was involved in Greenwich, Conn., real estate.
His family, Irish wolfhounds, and Princeton were his special interests. He was past president of the Wolfhound Club of America and New England, and a member of the American Legion and the Ancient Order of Hibernians of Bucks County, Pa. Joe was always there for Princeton Reunions, luncheons, games, and class council meetings.
He is survived by two daughters, Gale Stafford and Aimee Lundy; a son, Joseph R.; and seven grandchildren. His classmates offer them all their deep sympathies.
The Class of 1940
George A. Haas ’40
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution headline, “Survivor of polio, ‘gentleman’,” announced George’s death Jan. 2, 2007.
George, whom some of us knew as “Mule,” had established his law practice in Atlanta in the fall of 1952 when he came down with a high fever. Diagnosed with polio, he nearly died. Doctors told him he would never walk again. “Dad proved them wrong,” his son, Thomas, said.
He prepared at Boys’ High School in Atlanta and the Lawrenceville School. At Princeton, he majored in economics and SPIA, graduating with second-group departmental honors. He was on the soccer and fencing teams, served as chairman for lacrosse, and was a member of the Glee Club, choir, Whig-Clio, and Terrace Club.
From 1941 to 1945, George served with the Army artillery, separating as a captain. In 1947, he graduated from Yale Law School. He was recognized as an authority in wills and estate planning.
George reached out to others afflicted with paralysis and disabilities, becoming president of the Georgia Easter Seal Society and, later, president of the national society.
His wife, Miriam, died in May 2006. In addition to Thomas, George is survived by his daughter, Karen Davenport; a sister, Barbara Rothchild; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
The Class of 1940
Charles Loy Sanders Jr. ’41
Chas died Jan. 1, 2007, in Sacramento, Calif.
Coming from Jamaica (N.Y.) High School, he majored in SPIA at Princeton and graduated with highest honors. While at Princeton, he was on the boards of the Tiger magazine and the Nassau Herald and was managing editor of the Bric-a-Brac.
After earning an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1943, he joined the Navy and served in the South Pacific.
After his service, Chas worked for several years as a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen Co. in New York City before joining the Paul Revere Life Insurance Co., in Worcester, Mass. He became vice president, controller, and director before retiring in 1985 and moving to Sacramento.
He was active in many civic affairs. He served as president of the Mohegan Council of Boy Scouts, president of the Worcester Taxpayers Association, and as a trustee of Clark University.
Chas was predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Nancy Cleary Sanders. He is survived by his two daughters, Elizabeth Duncan and Judith Boylan; his son, William ’71; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
The Class of 1941
HENRY L. HEYMANN ’43
Henry died Feb. 8, 2007, of lung cancer at his home in Washington, D.C. He was 86.
Born in Philadelphia, he prepped at Penn Charter School and the Hun School, graduating first in his class. He made the dean’s list all four years at Princeton and graduated cum laude. He participated in intramural boxing and Whig-Clio. During World War II, he was a field-artillery captain in Europe and won the soldier’s medal for bravery.
Henry joined the State Department in 1950 as a Foreign Service officer, working in Germany, Italy, and Indonesia. An ardent conservationist, he led State Department efforts to complete the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the first international treaty for wildlife protection. In the early 1980s, he represented the International Primate Protection League. His testimony before Congress led to strengthening the Lacey Act on importation of wildlife killed by Americans contrary to foreign laws.
Henry took up running at age 50 and won numerous awards. He placed first in the 75-79 age group in the Army’s 10-miler and first in the 80-plus age group in the Cherry Blossom 10-miler, both prestigious annual events in Washington. Henry is survived by his wife of 47 years, Renate B. Heymann.
The Class of 1943
JAMES E. CRAWFORD JR. ’44
Jim died Jan. 21, 2007, in St. Louis, where he was a fourth-generation resident. A brother, two sons, and two of his grandchildren are Princetonians.
He prepped at St. Louis Country Day School. At Princeton, he majored in chemical engineering, was on the freshman swim team, and was manager of Cottage Club. His roommates were Dave Metcalfe, Gid Upton, Dick Schueler, Ric Ohrstrom, Kroger Pettengill, and later, in 115 Blair, included Jack Myers, Bill Tiernan, Ned Kelley, Linc Johnson, and Bob “Brownie” Brown.
Jim served two years aboard a Liberty ship as engineering officer, married Virginia “Ginny” Cooban in 1944, and rose through the ranks to become a senior executive of Monsanto Chemical Co. He was proud to be the first chairman of its social responsibility committee. Jim left Monsanto in 1981 for publishing and other ventures.
He was a senior warden of Episcopal churches in Ladue, Mo., and Boca Grande, Fla., another residence. A love for mountains and skiing led him to purchase property in Vail, Colo. Besides Ginny, his survivors include sons James E. III ’68, Stephen ’70, and Michael; his daughter, Molly Schneider; brother Louis ’48; eight grandchildren, including Lacy ’96 and James ’03, and one great-grandchild. Our sincere condolences go to all.
The Class of 1944
BURTON A. FORD JR. ’44
Burt died Dec. 28, 2006, in Jacksonville, Fla. He and his wife of 62 years, Carolyn, resided on Amelia Island, Fla., since 1994.
Burt served as our reunion chairman from 1986 to 1989 and encouraged other classmates to serve during the 25 years the couple lived in the Princeton area. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Maryland, Burt prepped at St. Paul’s. At Princeton, he majored in psychology, roomed with Paul Fuzy and Sid Howell, and was a member of Prospect Club. He was active in freshman football, 150-pound football, and lacrosse. Through wartime acceleration, he graduated in 1943, and then flew his assigned Piper Cub, Chipunk (a family nickname), over German lines in Europe, obtaining ranges for our field artillery.
After the war, Burt worked in the Yellow Pages advertising and marketing division of Reuben H. Donnelley Corp. until retiring in 1982. Burt and Carolyn were the grandparents of the Class of 1974’s class baby, Marianne Ford Alexander. Besides Carolyn, Burt is survived by two sons, Burton A. III ’66 and Richard C. ’68; 13 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. Another son, Thomas ’74, predeceased him. We appreciate Burt’s gifts of his time and efforts to our class, and our condolences go to his family.
The Class of 1944
EDWARD S. RENDALL ’44
Ned died Dec. 1, 2006, in Orono, Maine. He was 85.
His father was James H. Rendall ’09. His cousin and brother-in-law, Alfred “Kelley” Bates ’44, was Ned’s roommate through Exeter and Princeton.
At Princeton, he majored in chemistry, played soccer and lacrosse, and was a member of Cottage Club. He left us in 1943 to earn his medical degree at the University of Rochester. He served two years in the Army Medical Corps during the Korean War, attaining a captaincy. He spent 20 years in private practice in Winchester, Mass., and then began a relationship with Massachusetts General Hospital that lasted the rest of his life. Ned was very much a patient’s doctor, giving his attention to the sick all around Orono’s Blue Hill area, where he resided after his formal retirement. He served on numerous medical and environmental boards and loved sailing, gardening, and golf.
His wife of 51 years, Constance, died in 1998. His survivors include the couple’s twins, David and Heidi, both Class of 1971, and his brother, James Rendall. At our 40th reunion, Ned wrote that our national and international “health” needed “a lot of doctoring . . . time is short.” We thank his family for this caring gentleman.
The Class of 1944
J. GORDON UPTON ’44
Gid died Dec. 23, 2006, in Bedford, N.H., where he and his wife, Barbara (“Rusty”), lived for 20 years. He was 83.
For someone born in New York City, whose career was in advertising and marketing with some of Manhattan’s best agencies, Gid loved the New England outdoors. He prepped at Phillips Academy, Andover, left us to serve as an AAF C-47 overseas pilot, and then returned to Princeton for his bachelor’s in modern languages in 1946. He played freshman soccer and was a member of Cottage Club. His roommates included Kroger Pettengill and Dick Schueler.
Gid married Barbara in 1950. For more than 35 years he commuted from Darien, Conn. After retiring to Bedford, he proudly wrote our secretaries about Rusty winning elections to several terms as a New Hampshire state representative. To Rusty, Gid also was “a best friend with a special sense of humor.” An early National Ski Patrol member, he enjoyed skiing from their home in Weston, Vt., with many classmates, and sailing from a cottage in Point O’Woods, N.Y.
In addition to Rusty, Gid’s survivors include a son, Gordon “Ticker” Upton; a daughter, Souci Rollins; and two grandchildren. Our sincere condolences go to all.
The Class of 1944
ROBERT MILLER ELLIS ’45
Bob Ellis died Sept. 12, 2006, in Traverse City, Mich.
Bob entered Princeton from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Ill., where he was a classmate of Charlton Heston. At Princeton, Bob played on the 150-pound football team and was captain of the varsity track team. He joined Charter Club, and by accelerating his studies, received a degree cum laude in political science in 1944.
His war service was as an officer with the 2nd Marine Division, which saw combat in Guam and the Marianas before participating briefly in the occupation of Japan. Bob then enjoyed 25 successful years in automobile advertising with Chrysler Corp. The next 20 years of his career included advertising and account-management roles for Oldsmobile, Buick, Chrysler, Ford, and Lincoln-Mercury advertising agencies.
Bob enjoyed a second career from 1972 until his death as chairman of Northwood University’s advertising program, becoming a full professor. He founded the Northwood American Advertising Federation college chapter and received several honorary degrees. He retired to Traverse City.
Bob was predeceased by his wife, the former Eleanor Marsden. He is survived by his son, Robert Jr., and his daughter, Mary Margaret Ellis. The class extends its sympathy to the family.
The Class of 1945
GEORGE CORNING FRASER III ’45
George Corning Fraser III died Feb. 8, 2006, in Abilene, Texas. Though ill, he was alert and active when he lost consciousness at home that day.
Born Jan. 24, 1923, to Sarah and George Fraser Jr. ’17, George came to Princeton from The Hill School. Like his father and grand-
father, George C. Fraser 1893, he joined Cottage Club. Military service in India and Burma delayed his graduation. To the end of his days, he spoke of Princeton and his classmates with pride and affection.
Sunoco employed George in West Texas from 1947 to 1954, when he became an independent geologist. He led local professional societies and worked from Ecuador to Canada. A trustee of the Texas & Pacific Land Trust for 40 years, he was its chairman for 10.
His 1950 marriage to Ann Welling ended in divorce. In 1977 he married Maureen G. Wooten, who like his sister, Sarah Jane Wood, and brother, Thomas Tutt Fraser ’50, predeceased him. George’s survivors include five children by his first wife, Andrew, Prudence Sternin, Sarah Searles, Cynthia Barlow, and Nina Fraser-Shultz; a sister, Dorothy Shore; five grandchildren; two stepchildren; and six step-grandchildren. The class expresses its sympathy to all.
The Class of 1945
TREMPER LONGMAN JR. ’45
Tremp died Nov. 22, 2006.
Tremp prepared for Princeton at Exeter. At Princeton he was captain of the squash team and a member of Tiger Inn and the Right-Wing Club. His war service was with the 89th Division, which saw combat in France and Germany. Returning to Princeton, he earned a bachelor’s in history in 1948 and joined the Studebaker Corp., for which he became district sales manager in Columbus, Ohio. In 1951 he married Mary Jane “Mernie” Stevenson, a graduate of Ohio State University, and they had a son and two daughters. Tremp continued in the motor-vehicle business, switching to trucking with Truck Transport Inc. of St. Louis as its business sales manager.
He and Mernie retired to Sarasota, Fla., where he took up racing in earnest “as the slowest member of a national-champion team” from Tampa. Until the end, Tremp continued to enjoy squash and tennis, although he noted that he could no longer defeat his children.
In addition to Mernie, Tremp is survived by his son, Tremper III; his daughters, Linda and Lisa; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. The class extends sympathy to all.
The Class of 1945
RICHARD CLAYTON MYERS ’45
Dick Myers died Sept. 24, 2006.
Dick entered Princeton in the footsteps of his father, Paul Myers ’13, and his brothers, Robert ’41 and John ’44. He prepared for Princeton at St. Albans School in Washing-
ton, D.C. He joined Cloister Inn and played freshman lacrosse before leaving for the Navy V-12 program.
Dick earned a medical degree from George Washington University in 1947 and had a long and successful career in medicine. In 1949 he married Anne Gueydan of Switzerland, whom he met while obtaining a doctorate in pathology at the University of Zurich. Dick served in the Air Force as chief of surgery at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, and then went into private practice in Bethesda in 1956.
Dick and Anne divorced, and he married Barbara Spangler. Dick noted in his final submission that he and Barbara were happily completing 25 years of marriage in retirement on the Chesapeake Bay, with a dock and boat at the end of the yard and a golf course over their fence.
To Barbara; their daughters, Erica and Elisabeth; Dick’s children from his first marriage, Heidi, Christine, Claire, and James; and 12 grandchildren, the class extends its deep sympathy.
The Class of 1945
REGINALD ROBINSON JR. ’45
Reg died July 9, 2006.
He entered Princeton from South Pasadena (Calif.) High School and joined Charter Club. Reg was active in Theatre Intime, sang with Triangle Club, and was president of the Outing Club. He served as an aviation cadet in the Navy, and then earned his degree in economics and mechanical engineering from Princeton in 1947.
Reg returned to California to work for Richfield Oil Co. He met and married Christine Burkdoll in 1952 and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where they raised two daughters, Gail and Jill. Reg worked for Berkeley Radiation Lab and Cyclotron Corp. and continued to enjoy all outdoor sports, especially hiking, scuba diving, and skiing. In his retirement he worked as a financial planner.
Reg is survived by Christine, Gail, Jill, and six grandchildren, to all of whom the class extends its sympathy.
The Class of 1945
WILLIAM EWING SPEERS JR. ’45
Bill Speers died at the Meadow Lakes retirement community in Hightstown, N.J., Oct. 31, 2006.
After graduating from South Kent (Conn.) School, Bill entered Princeton, following his father William E. Speers ’11. His brother, Robert B. Speers ’49, and son, John G. Speers ’77, also became Princetonians. Bill joined Cloister Inn and rowed on the varsity crew. After earning a bachelor’s in civil engineering, he served with an NCB Seabees battalion in the Philippines.
In 1947 Bill married Eleanor Schroeder and joined the family business, James McCutcheon & Co., in New York City. In 1957, he moved to Princeton and joined Business Supplier Corp. of America. He served as executive vice president until 1970, when he moved to Lancaster, Pa., where he became executive director of the Pennsylvania Educational Assistance Authority. In 1975, he returned to Princeton and joined Bill Sword ’46 in his investment firm until he retired in 1990.
During his retirement Bill was active in Princeton in Trinity Church and the Nassau Club. His interests included education, the outdoors, old canals, and crew. In addition to Eleanor, Bill is survived by his daughter, the Rev. Mary Speers, and his son, John. The class extends its sympathy to the family.
The Class of 1945
Oscar Harvey King Jr. ’47
Os King died Dec. 19, 2005, of lung cancer. He was 80. All who knew him will remember Os, also known as “Harvey,” for his warmth, humor, and joy in life.
Prior to Princeton he attended Brigham Young High School and the Lawrenceville School. Os was a member of Princeton’s undefeated épée tean of 1949 and the winner of the Princeton Fencing Medal that year.
His highly successful business career was spent in Provo and Salt Lake City until 1984, when Os and his beloved Rosie moved to Laguna Niguel, Calif. A lifelong Episcopalian, Os was active in civic and church affairs.
It is characteristic of Os that he suffered his first stroke following an evening of jitterbugging with Rosie during our 25th reunion. He survived a second stroke with continued good humor and optimism before succumbing to cancer.
Always an enthusiastic sportsman and sailor and one of the founders of the Flotilla of the Great Salt Lake, Os was awarded the U.S. Medal for Meritorious Achievement for his role in saving the crew of an endangered ship in 1978.
He is survived by Rosie, his wife of 55 years; two sons; two daughters; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. To all of them, the class extends heartfelt sympathy.
The Class of 1947
Edward Waller ’47
Ned’s World War II Navy service as a radar specialist led to a year’s sojourn on Guam. Returning to Princeton, he graduated in 1948 as an honor student in SPIA. He began a career as a textile designer with Dan Mills Inc., and married “Frannie” (Frances Mason) in 1950.
Despite publishing some significant articles in trade journals and earning professional recognition, he heartily disliked rising at 6 a.m. for the long commute from Fanwood, N.J., to Manhattan — longing for retirement and a return to Danville, Va., and the Blue Ridge mountain country, where he previously lived.
Finally realizing that dream, he wrote (for our 50th) of the joys of small-town life “where a person’s life touches everyone else” and where one can reflect on “life’s pageant.” Ned was an accomplished guitarist and singer of folk songs — often displaying these talents on his front porch for his beloved hound.
A staunch conservative, he deplored the many changes at Princeton since our time. Still, Old Nassau’s mystique lived on, and he loved our class and later reunions as we all mellowed.
Ned died March 11, 2006. With fond remembrances of the bright mind, humor, and warmth of this Southern gentleman, we send our affection and sympathies to Frannie and the family.
The Class of 1947
ROBERT A. CHALMERS ’52
Bob died Dec. 24, 2006, from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
He entered Princeton from Wyomissing (Pa.) High School with strong talents in physics and music. He was an enthusiastic four-year member of the Glee Club, a Bric-a-Brac photographer, and a WPRU producer. He majored in music and roomed senior year in Prospect Club with Hale Bradt and Jim Melchert.
After graduation, Bob served in the Naval Reserve and attended Northwestern University, where he earned a Ph.D. in nuclear physics in 1963. He then worked at Lockheed in nuclear research and artificial intelligence, exploring his love of computers and programming, until his retirement in 1994.
He remained active in music through recorder ensembles and was an avid bicyclist. After the 1993 death of his first wife, Suzanne, he married Lillian Singletary, a physicist he had known since graduate school, who survives him.
Bob is warmly remembered for his good humor, contentment with a modest lifestyle, and playful approach to life. His spirit lives on in his two sons, Doug and Chris, both of whom are in technical fields, and his four grandchildren. His class offers its condolences to his entire family.
The Class of 1952
JAMES HARVEY COTTRELL ’53
Jim, who left Princeton in 1951 to volunteer for the Air Force, died of cancer Dec. 27, 2006, in Rumson, N.J. Jim returned to celebrate our fifth reunion, while graduating with the Class of 1958. Fortunately for us, he remained a member of ’53.
Jim prepared at Bordentown (N.J.) Military Institute, where he was valedictorian. At Princeton, he majored in chemical engineering, was assistant treasurer of Charter Club, and belonged to Orange Key. Bill Brewster, Jay Cooper, Major Johnson, Fred Lafferty, Herschel Shepard, and John Sherwood were among his roommates. He married Marie Friedmann in 1954.
Jim was successful in developing an alternative energy source and obtained a patent for the process of oil extraction from the Athabasca Tar Sands Development Project in Northern Alberta, Canada. He had numerous other design successes in construction and building projects. He was so meticulous as chair of the building and grounds committee of Rumson’s Sea Bright Club that board member, neighbor, and close friend Dick Ellwood joked that Jim almost wrecked the budget of the venerable club with infrastructure improvements.
We join Marie; their sons, James Jr., Craig Thomas, and Stephen Osceola; daughter Christiane; and 10 grandchildren in mourning the loss of Jim. He had a searching and relentless intellect and conducted his life and career with infinite integrity.
The Class of 1953
WILLIAM LEWIS CLARK ’55
Bill died Jan. 5, 2007, in Columbus, Ohio, after a valiant fight against colon cancer.
He prepared at Culver (Ind.) Military Academy, where he was senior cadet captain and regimental commander. At Princeton, he majored in engineering and served as president of Quad and chairman of the Interclub Council. Senior year he roomed with Dexter Morrison, Dick Frye, and Hank Thomay.
After Princeton and three years of Air Force duty, Bill received a law degree from Ohio State University and developed a successful 21-year practice in construction and business litigation.
Bill then went back to school for a master of divinity degree at Methodist Theological Seminary. While still practicing law he served as assistant minister at the First Congregational Church in Columbus. It was at this time that Bill developed a compelling interest in the field of alternative-dispute resolution. He chaired the Ohio Supreme Court Committee for Dispute Resolution and served as a referee on the Ohio Court of Claims. Bill also found time for community service, especially for the American Red Cross.
The class extends deepest sympathy to Barbara, Bill’s wife of 19 years; to Biddie, mother of their four children; 18 grandchildren; and to Bill’s brother and sisters.
The Class of 1955
Robert Kingman Lanza ’64
We were saddened to learn of the death of Bob Lanza July 31, 2006, in Laguna Woods, Calif.
A graduate of Glen Ellen High School in suburban Chicago, Bob entered Princeton with the Class of ’59, left after two years, and served three years in the Army. No sooner had he returned to Princeton when he was recalled to active duty. Bob finally re-entered Princeton for the third time, joining 1964 for our junior and senior years.
At Princeton, Bob majored in English, was a varsity fencer, served on The Daily Princetonian, and was a member of Quad-
rangle Club. After Princeton, he worked for the Reuben H. Donnelley Co., then moved to California, where he met Mary Russell. They were married six months later. Bob worked for more than 30 years for the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co., which was later absorbed by Massachusetts Mutual.
Friends attest that Bob never wore a bigger smile than when talking about his children. He was a devout Christian. He loved his “flower ministry” in which he drove his golf cart to visit seniors who were unable to attend church, bringing them flowers and communion.
Bob died peacefully, surrounded by his family and his church family during his final days. The class extends deepest sympathy to Mary; his daughters, Katy and Sarah; his son, Bobby; and two grandchildren.
The Class of 1964
Thomas R. Meehan *52
Thomas R. Meehan, a dedicated and beloved history professor at Oregon State University, died Oct. 3, 2006. He was 87.
Meehan’s mother died after giving birth to him in 1919, a victim of the influenza epidemic. After Pearl Harbor, he left college to enlist in the Army. Assigned to the Signal Corps, 1st Cavalry, Meehan served more than three years, mostly in the Pacific, taking part in five beach landings and earning the Bronze Star (he modestly said the award was for “surviving . . . the fact I survived is why I got it”).
Once discharged, he earned both a bachelor’s (magna cum laude and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa) and a master’s in history from Rutgers. After a year of graduate study at Princeton, Meehan received a fellowship toward a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. Upon completing his doctorate, he taught for five years at the Carnegie Institute. In 1962, he joined Oregon State University, where his U.S. history courses enjoyed very large enrollments, one even becoming a departmental institution. Meehan retired in 1987, with an annual teaching award established in his name.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret, whom he married in 1948.
Thomas J. Anton *61
Thomas J. Anton, professor emeritus of political science and former dean of the faculty at Brown University, died June 6, 2006. He was 71.
Anton graduated magna cum laude from Clark University in 1956, and in 1959 and 1961 earned a master’s and doctorate in politics from Princeton. He then began a 40-year career as a political science professor at the universities of Illinois, Stockholm, and Michigan, before joining the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions at Brown. He was center director from 1984 to 2001, as well as Brown’s dean of faculty from 1990 to 1991.
The author of more than 50 articles and a dozen papers, Anton won the American Political Science Association award for best U.S. national policy publication for his fifth book, published in 1994. Practicing what he taught and wrote about, Anton was active in the Providence, R.I., community as chairman of the housing authority and a member of the mayor’s task force.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara; three children; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
This issue has an undergraduate memorial for Ralph S. Cannon ’31 *35.
