Bill was born April 1, 1929, in New York, the son of William Dale and Margaret Leach Dana.
Bill graduated from Hotchkiss and majored in sociology at Princeton. He was a member of Colonial and the soccer squad, served as circulation manager of the Bric-a-Brac , and graduated with honors. He roomed with Bob Accola, Andy Cobb, Homer Franklin, and Bob MacKennan.
Bill served as a war psychology officer in the Army from 1951 to 1953. He and Emma Joy Linen were married Nov. 10, 1951. He graduated from Harvard Business School in 1955 and began his career as an investment manager at Lehman Brothers. He then worked with the Rockefeller Brothers Fund until 1976. He continued in private-investment management thereafter.
Bill gave his time and talent to three other areas of particular interest to him: education, conservation, and fly-fishing. He served as president of the Peck School board in Morristown, N.J., the Anglers’ Club of New York, and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. He also was on the advisory council for Montana Land Reliance.
Bill died Feb. 14, 2013, in Morristown. He is survived by Emma Joy; sons Richard, John, Andrew, and Gordon; four grandchildren; and his nephew, Timothy Dana ’91. His brother James ’53 predeceased him.