George died Oct. 15, 2002, of complications from pneumonia and edema resulting from high-altitude hiking in China.

George entered Princeton from Simsbury (Conn.) High School, rooming with Paul Epstein, Mark Snider, Jeff Schevitz, and Buzz Dunn. After spending a year in Africa he graduated in 1963 with a major in public affairs. He earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in economics from Northwestern and began teaching at Carleton College in 1969, becoming the Williams Professor of Economics in 1982.

After auditing a course in Mandarin, George taught in China. He developed close relationships, helping students prepare for admission to U.S. graduate schools. He gave courses in international finance and the contemporary Chinese economy, teaching in China in 1994 and 2001.  

“George’s devotion to his students, both in Northfield (Minn.) and in China, was a model for a liberal arts college,” said Michael Hemesath, chair of Carleton’s economics department.

A runner and cyclist, George even taught at a quit-smoking clinic. He loved jazz, art, history, and architecture and knew the economics of monument restoration.

The class extends its sympathy to his widow, Susan; two sons, Scott and Brandon; his parents, Arroll and Peggy Lamson; and his brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Cherrie Lamson.

Undergraduate Class of 1962