Remsen chair established
The Trustees have established an endowed professorship in government to honor the memory of William C. S. Remsen '43, an outstanding scholar and athlete who died at the age of 31. Endowment of the academic chair was made possible by a major gift from Frederick D. "Ted" Remsen '50, younger brother of Bill Remsen and a New York investment counselor. A third brother, Richard Remsen '42, lives in Florida. In all, three generations of Remsens have attended Dartmouth, spanning classes from 1901 to 1984.
As an undergraduate, Bill Remsen made quite a mark on campus. During his freshman year he earned his numerals in football, hockey, and golf and won the Churchill Freshman Prize. He was president of his class sophomore and junior years, president of Green Key, a member of Palaeopitus and the Undergraduate Council, a member of Casque and Gauntlet and Psi Upsilon, a varsity letter winner in hockey and golf, a senior scholar, and winner of the Colby Government Prize and the Barrett Cup for all-around achievement. He served in the Navy during World War II and went on to earn a law degree from Columbia. He practiced law in New York for a few years, then in 1951 joined Johnson and Johnson as assistant secretary and legal counsel. He died of a heart attack on January 9, 1953.
The meeting at which the Trustees authorized the William Clinton Story Remsen 1943 Professorship in Government was described by one administration observer as "the most moving Trustee action I've ever seen." The motion to establish the chair was made by Trustee Norman McCulloch '50, a classmate and close friend of Ted Remsen's; it was seconded by two Trustees who were classmates of Bill Remsen's - Robert Field '43 and George Munroe '43; and it was "thirded" by another Trustee with ties to the Remsen family - Robert Douglass '53, a good friend and neighbor of Ted's.
President McLaughlin, in announcing the new professorship, expressed "deep appreciation to Ted Remsen for his significant gift," which has been built up over a period of five years.
