March 26, 2003: Memorials
Winthrop Page Hersey ’28
Win died Dec. 2, 2002. He was born in Wellesley Hills, Mass., where he lived for many years. At Princeton he was a member of the ROTC and Cottage Club.
After college he joined the family firm, Hersey Manufacturing Co. in Boston, where he spent his entire business life. He retired as board chairman in 1976. Win served in the Army from 1942-46, and again from 1951-52. He retired in 1966 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
An avid golfer, he won the Marine Open and was runner-up in the Massachusetts Amateur Championship.
Win is survived by Audrey, his wife of 68 years; two daughters, Mrs. William R. Carter and Ms. Karen Hersey; a son, David ’63; 10 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. The class extends its deepest sympathy to Mrs. Hersey and all the family.
The Class of 1928
Albert Elmer Wood ’30
Al died Nov. 11, 2002, at his home in Cape May Courthouse, N.J., of prostate cancer. He was 92.
Al prepared at the Brooklyn Poly HS. At Princeton he was a member of Clio Hall and roomed junior and senior years with G. M. Crowley. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and went on to study vertebrate paleontology at Columbia, where he earned his PhD. Al joined the faculty at Amherst College as a professor of biology. During WWII he served as a lieutenant colonel, earning a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. After he retired from Amherst, he moved to Cape May Courthouse, to a house he had built on ancestral property that had been in the family for 300 years. A house built in 1854 on another portion of property is now a bed-and-breakfast called Doctors Inn, due to the many PhDs and MDs in the family.
Al married Frances Wright in 1937. They had three sons, one of whom is Roger ’62. Al was our class treasurer when he died.
The Class of 1930
Philip Pettibone Schaffner ’33
Phil died Apr. 16, 1999. He was 87. He earned his PhD in economics at Ohio State U. He was a commander in the Navy during WWII. He retired from the US Treasury Dept. after achieving the highest level attainable by a civil servant. He was a specialist in the balance of trade.
When he retired, he and his wife, Bessie, who survives him, moved to John Knox Village, in Pompano Beach, Fla. There he was a very active community worker. Some activities in which he participated were wood sculpture — a number of his pieces are on display in John Knox Village; music — he organized small groups to play for special occasions, and he played the recorder and the ukelele; and poetry — he wrote a number of poems and organized poetry reading and writing groups. He gave generously to the public school system. He secretly helped less fortunate residents pay their dues or rent.
Besides his wife, he is survived by a niece, Denice W. Williams, and a nephew, Dennis Workman. Phil and his generosity and many talents will be missed by the people with whom he came in contact.
The Class of 1933
Arthur Kaskel Solomon ’34
Art, emeritus professor of biophysics at Harvard Medical School and a scientific member of the US delegation to UNESCO in 1976 and 1978, died Nov. 6, 2002, at his home in Cambridge, Mass. He had been in failing health but continued to teach first-year medical students into the 1990s, as well as continuing with full-time research. He arrived at the medical school in 1939 as a research associate in physics and chemistry and, except for WWII research on radar in England, remained there nearly until his death. He was a founder of the Biophysical Society in the US and an influential member of the small group that founded the Int’l. Union for Pure & Applied Biophysics, of which he was the first secretary-general.
Art is survived by his wife, Mariot “Marny”; a son, Mark; a daughter, Susanna; and several grandchildren. To them we offer our sincere sympathies.
The Class of 1934
JAMES PETER WILLIAMS III ’35
Pete, a Philadelphia lawyer who specialized in trusts and estate work for more than 40 years, died Apr. 28, 2001. At Princeton he majored in history and lettered on the 150-lb. football and boxing teams. Pete also served on the Daily Princetonian board and was an assistant manager and editor. He belonged to Ivy Club.
After graduation, Pete’s first job was working “in a dirty, hot, coke plant on the Jersey flats.” But such servitude didn’t last long. Pete’s next move was to three “rugged but pleasant” years at Harvard Law, followed by four years in the Navy, mostly in the Pacific “with a lovely side trip around Australia to Ceylon,” and a good view of most of the major battles in that theater during WWII. He survived a kamikaze hit on the deck of the carrier Wasp and emerged from the service as a lieutenant commander with a Bronze Star.
He then took a crack at trial law back in Philadelphia, followed by a job as a vice president of the Western Savings Fund Society. He then joined the firm Drinker, Biddle and Reath, where he worked until he retired in 1985. Pete’s survivors include Laura Oliver Williams, his wife of 56 years; a son, Peter; a daughter, Anne; two grandchildren; and his sister, Elinor W. Reath.
The Class of 1935
Peter Aston Schwartz ’36
Peter died Aug. 8, 2002, at the Princeton Medical Center. He was 89. He prepared at the Montgomery School in Wynnwood, Pa. At Princeton he majored in English and was a member of Quadrangle Club.
After graduation he was an assistant dean of men at Princeton; he then taught at the Chicago Latin School. During WWII he served three years in the Navy. He participated in the campaigns of Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and landed in Japan. He retired as a lieutenant jg.
After the war, Peter was assistant headmaster of the Hun School in Princeton, headmaster of the Allendale School in Rochester, N.Y., headmaster at the Pembroke Country Day School in Kansas City, Mo., founding headmaster of the Ft. Worth Country Day School, and was head of the middle school of the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Tex.
He retired to John’s Island, S.C., where for a year he taught Latin at the Island Academy and worked in the Soup Kitchen Ministry.
Peter and his wife, the late Alice Crosby Sinclair, were married for 58 years. He is survived by a sister, Madiera S. Meader; a daughter, Carol S. Haag; sons Peter Jr. and Donald; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
The Class of 1936
Hugh Campbell Barrett Jr. ’37
Hugh died at St. Simon’s Island, Ga., on Nov. 12, 2002, at the age of 88. A native of Orange, N.J., he came to us from Choate.
A graduate of the US Brewing Academy, Hugh began his career with Peter Doelger’s in Newark. He then went to New Philadelphia Brewery in Ohio, and then was brewmaster for Pan-American Industries in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, before he retired. He also worked for Schiffenhaus Packaging and Displays in Newark.
In our 40th yearbook, Hugh listed his hobbies as woodworking and golf. In addition to his membership in Sea Island Golf Club, he also was a member of the Essex County Country Club in West Orange, the Dorado Country Club in Puerto Rico, and the Santo Domingo Country Club in the Dominican Republic.
A memorial mass was held at St. Williams Church on St. Simon’s Island, where he had lived for more than 20 years. To his devoted widow, Sherry, daughters Barbara B. Power and Lindsay B. George, son Hugh III, seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and a nephew, William R. Barrett Jr. ’66, we offer our sincere condolences.
The Class of 1937
Lewis Henry Marks ’37
Lew died on Dec. 8, 2002, in Jacksonville, Fla. He came to us from Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh. Lew majored in economics with honors, was president of Campus Club, and was a member of the Student/Faculty Council.
He joined the Navy as an apprentice seaman, served in both Atlantic and Pacific theaters, and was discharged as a lieutenant jg.
Lew was president of Marks Lumber Co. and later G&L Construction Co. In our 50th-reunion book, he listed his pride in building apartment complexes of 250 units and 225 mini-warehouses.
One of the class’s avid golfers, Lew was a founder and member of San Jose Country Club and held memberships in Epping Forest, the River Club, the Honey Do’s, and the Sapphire Valley Country Club in North Carolina, where he had a summer home.
He is survived by his devoted wife of 62 years, Betty Balfour; daughters Anne Hayhurst, Pat Schages, and Beth Deitz; his son, Lewis Jr.; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and his sister, Betty Clarke. He was predeceased by two brothers, Herbert ’33 and James ’35. We offer his family our profound sympathy.
The Class of 1937
Philip Von A. Nicholson ’37
Phil died Oct. 23, 2002, after a two-month illness; he was 88. He came to Princeton from Mercersburg Academy, where he excelled in football and wrestling. He won the 1932 Mid-Atlantic AAU title in wrestling and qualified for the Olympics. Phil roomed with Bill Cleaver, a Mercersburg classmate. He was our class hero when he won the annual Cane Spree against the sophomore class.
During WWII he graduated from the Army Ranger School and saw active service in the South Pacific, New Guinea, and the Philippines.
Phil lived in Merchantville, N.J., while working for the John Wanamaker Department Store in Philadelphia, until he retired in 1979. His love of people and his easygoing nature made him an ideal salesman.
After the death of his wife, Frances, he moved to be near his son, Philip, daughter-in-law Susan, and granddaughter Jessica in Herndon, Va. His brother, Joseph ’32, predeceased him. We extend our sympathies to the family of this gentleman of character.
The Class of 1937
Frederick Rolland Carson ’42
Rolly died in Chicago on July 1, 2002, after a long and distinguished career as a lawyer. He retired as a partner with the law firm Isham, Lincoln, and Beale in 1988, after serving for 40 years.
Rolly joined the class after preparing at the New Trier High and Berkshire schools. He majored in politics and was a member of Dial Lodge. Leaving Princeton senior year to join the armed forces, he returned in 1946 to graduate with honors in philosophy, after which he earned an LLB at the U. of Michigan in 1948. During the war he graduated from the Navy V-7 program as an ensign and was assigned to the USS Princeton, where he served until it was sunk on Oct. 24, 1944, in the battle of Leyte Gulf. Rolly was awarded a Bronze Star for his role in attempting to save the ship after it was attacked.
His pro-bono work included serving as police magistrate in Northfield, and village attorney in Winnetka, his home at the time of his death.
To his widow, Martha, and to his children, Fred Jr., Camille, and Catherine, the class offers its most sincere condolences.
The Class of 1942
DAVID FITTING ’42
Dave died of cancer in Hillsborough, N.J., on Nov. 15, 2002. With other stalwart members of ’42, including Class Pres. Rusty Husted, he came to Princeton from Newark Academy. He majored in English, was a member of Cannon Club, and roomed in his junior year with Hugh Eubank and Alan Cameron. He served his country during WWII in the Radar Unit of the Army Signal Corps, where he rose to captain. After the war he married Melva Elizabeth “Bette” Ruprecht in 1946.
Dave started his business career as a salesman with O. F. Ruprecht Inc., a floor coverings manufacturer in Newark, and advanced to president. After this business was sold, he joined and managed Nordevco Inc., an educational products firm in Plainfield that his son had bought.
To Bette; his four children, William, Nancy, Robert and David; his four granddaughters; his sister, Peggy Vreeland; and Jim Walsh ’43, his close friend for 68 years, the class extends its sincerest condolences.
The Class of 1942
THOMAS FENNER GIBSON Jr. ’42
Tom died Aug. 19, 2002, in Indianapolis. He came to Princeton from Haddonfield [N.J.] HS, where he had been the yearbook editor. At Princeton, Tom was circulation manager of the Daily Princetonian, secretary of the Intramural Athletic Assn., and a member of Cloister Inn. He graduated with honors in economics.
During WWII he saw two-and-a-half years of special service as first lieutenant with the Chinese Army in the China/Burma/India theater. Tom was awarded the Bronze Star.
After getting his master’s from the U. of Chicago, he earned an LLB degree from Indiana U. School of Law. In 1951 he married Lois Hilkene, who survives him.
Tom’s private practice in arbitration and labor relations exemplified “Princeton in the nation’s service”: He served parttime as examiner for the National Labor Relations Board, was city prosecutor for Indianapolis, and was US commissioner.
From 1959-61, Tom was president of the Princeton Club of Indiana. His community services included serving as a deacon in the Presbyterian church; in politics, he was an active Democrat and ran twice for a seat in the state legislature.
To Lois and to his two sons, including Thomas ’77, his three daughters, and 12 grandchildren, the class extends its heartfelt condolences.
The Class of 1942
MILES WARNER ’42
A terrible tragedy struck the Warner household in Chadds Ford, Pa., on or about Dec. 2, 2002. Miles, a not-quite-retired lawyer, and his lovely wife, Mary, were the victims of a double homicide.
Miles prepared at Newark Academy, where he was on periodical and yearbook boards. At Princeton he earned departmental honors in English and was on the board of the Princeton Sunday News. During WWII he was a lieutenant in the Coast Guard Reserves, then served in the Merchant Marines to earn his tuition at Harvard Law School. He worked for the Philadelphia public defender’s office, the state public utility commission, and practiced law in Philadelphia for 40 years. In recent years, he moved his practice to West Chester, Pa., and handled several civil rights cases, earning a reputation for helping victims of injustice and defending the right of free assembly. For 50 years he was a Democratic committeeman and closely followed national politics.
In a moving tribute, son Bob ’71 said, “Dad loved life, he loved people, and he loved his family — always on his own terms.” To Miles’s three children — Sallie Anderson, Thomas, and Bob — and to Mary’s daughter from a previous marriage, the class expresses its heartfelt sympathy.
The Class of 1942
Silas Strawn Cathcart ’47
Si’s death on Oct. 29, 2002, in Lake Forest, Ill., deprives us of a celebrated classmate. He was 76.
“My time at Princeton was short (1946-48) but great,” Si wrote for our 40th, adding that he had been “lucky” thereafter. In fact his unique combination of qualities produced a remarkable career. He became the innovative CEO of Illinois Tool Works and then director of many national companies. At age 60 he was asked by the General Electric Co., on whose board he served, to manage and rehabilitate the then scandal-tarnished Kidder Peabody firm. He also served as a trustee of many public institutions, including Princeton.
All this activity was combined with enjoying his 51 years with Corlene, five children, and 10 grandchildren. At their ranch in Wyoming, Si indulged his passion for golf, fly-fishing, and nurturing civic projects in Cody.
In business, Si was noted for his commitment, integrity, and ability to resolve problems. His Princeton friends also remember these qualities and a classmate who excelled in economics and loved college life: “A great guy” who “met life head-on” — and surely mastered it. We hope these memories provide some solace to Corlene and the family.
The Class of 1947
Roger F. Miller ’49
Roger died Aug. 3, 2002, of cancer. He was 73. Roger prepared for Princeton at Bronxville HS. At Princeton he majored in economics and was a member of Charter Club.
After graduation, Roger did graduate work at Wharton and received his PhD from Berkeley. He then started his working career at the U. of Wisconsin at Madison, where he dedicated himself to teaching both graduate and undergraduate students. He remained there until he retired as a professor of economics in 1995.
Roger indicated in our 50-year book that the main focus of his life was his children and his grandchildren and that he found great happiness in that role. He tried to never be too busy to join with them in their games. He was also an avid Packers fan.
Roger is survived by his wife, Carolyn; sons Greg, Matt, and Tony; stepson David Cary; stepdaughter Ann Kinney; and six grandchildren. The class extends its sincere sympathy to them on their loss.
The Class of 1949
ALLEN EARLE WHITMAN III ’56
Allen, our clear-voiced bass Tigertone, of Berwyn, Pa., died June 12, 2002. A graduate of Groton, he attended the Naval Academy before joining our class in 1953. Right away, he came out for the Triangle show. A history major, a member of Tiger Inn, and business manager of the Tigertones, he roomed his senior year with Dirk Owens, Dick Atcheson, and Dick Buerk.
After 28 years with Scott Paper, he began an independent, global forest-products consulting business in 1984. Allen was a former chairman of the board of Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, Pa., and served on that board for many years. A longtime member of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, Pa., he participated in church choirs and choral groups. He also sang with the Orpheus Club of Philadelphia. A lover of sailing as well, he was a member of the New York Yacht Club, the Yacht Club of Philadelphia, and the Cruising Club of America.
The class extends its sympathy to his wife, Tracy Horton Whitman; to his children, Cynthia W. Lawes, Elizabeth W. Winder, Allen IV, and Eavenson Horter; and to his grandchildren, Sophie, Alden, and Sterling.
The Class of 1956
John Tyler Siegel ’61
Jack died Apr. 29, 2002, after a brief illness, in his hometown, Richmond, Va. Jack came to Princeton from St. Christopher’s School in Richmond. At Princeton he majored in history, played freshman baseball, and was a member of Cap and Gown, the NROTC, and Whig-Clio. His senior year roommates were Andy Walker, Wick Dufford, and David Bramlette ’62 — who gave a fitting tribute at Jack’s funeral.
Following four years as a Navy officer, Jack earned an MBA at UVA, and then returned to Richmond, where he entered the securities industry and ultimately cofounded the investment management firm Thompson, Siegel and Walmsley. As a leader of the Richmond community, Jack served on numerous corporate, charitable, and civic boards, including the Christian Children’s Fund and that of his alma mater, St. Christopher’s.
An avid runner and hunter, Jack also spent much of his free time restoring historic properties in the US and England, traveling, or hosting friends and family at Chericoke Farm in King William, Va.
He is survived by his childhood sweetheart and wife of 39 years, Alice Horsley Siegel; his mother and brother; three children, John ’91, Carter, and Eliza; and a grandson. Jack was truly a Virginia gentleman.
The Class of 1961
David R. Aufdenspring ’62
Dave died on Dec. 10, 2002, from complications of heart disease. He had received a heart transplant in June 1998. Dave was thrilled by the ability to celebrate both our 35th and 40th reunions in Princeton. He wrote in our 40th yearbook, “During my health problems and all the ‘good times,’ my wife, Judy, has been with me, giving me her unconditional love, support, and cheerfulness.”
Dave came to Princeton from Belleville [Ill.] Cathedral HS. He majored in history and played both freshman and JV football. He was known to many of his friends at Tower Club as “Springer” and to his roommates in 1903 Hall as “Dangle.”
Following graduation, Dave went to Yale Law School and then joined the Atlanta law firm of Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy. He spent his entire career with that firm, becoming a partner in 1970 and a nationally recognized specialist in antitrust litigation.
Dave was an avid reader and golfer. He also was active in charitable causes, particularly the American Heart and the Heart Transplant Assns. In addition to Judy, he is survived by his brother, Michael; children Tracy Fenn and Rob; stepchildren Christy Edmonds and Brent Mitchell; and six granddaughters. We, too, have lost a loyal, devoted friend.
The Class of 1962
ANDREW MCKIM RADCLIFFE ’97
Andy died on Nov. 29, 2002, in Lafayette, Ind. He was 27.
Andy came to Princeton from Cambridge South Dorchester HS in Cambridge, Md., where he was valedictorian of his class. At Princeton, Andy majored in English. His writing career intensified as he studied under Joyce Carol Oates.
In 2000 Andy received a master’s from the U. of Miami in Oxford, Ohio. While there he worked there as a writer, dorm adviser, and English composition teacher. In 2002 he moved to Cincinnati to concentrate on his writing, and there he finished his novel, Where There Is Water.
Andy’s hobbies included writing, reading, and playing tennis. He was an all-around sports enthusiast; he especially liked the New York Yankees and cheered the team on to its third straight World Series in 2000.
Andy is survived by his parents, George ’43 and Jacquelyn, brothers Scott and Greg, paternal grandparents, maternal grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins. The class extends its deepest condolences to his family.
The Class of 1997
