The University lowered its flag to half-staff following the June 3, 2015, death of emeritus trustee John Beck, who died from complications of Parkinson’s disease at his home in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 83. As a trustee, he had chaired the investment committee and created PRINCO (the Princeton University Investment Company), which still manages the University’s endowment.
Born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., John attended Exeter, graduated from the Wooster School, and was nicknamed “Boom” for Walter “Boom-Boom” Beck, a major league baseball player. A history major, he was vice president of Colonial Club and captained the 1953 varsity crew team that included some members who barely missed qualifying for the 1952 Olympics.
After three years in the Navy and earning an MBA at Harvard, John joined the investment-counseling firm Beck, Mack & Oliver, which was founded by his father, Edmund ’26. John became president, and his advice and investment acumen were sought by individuals and institutions. He retired in 1997 and was succeeded by his son, Robert C., who survives him.
Also surviving are his wife, Marilyn Plumb; children William F., Susanne ’81, Christopher M., and E. Wells ’91; 14 grandchildren; sister Susan Wasch; and brother T. Edmund Jr. ’52. Daughter Susanne said of her father, “He bled orange and black.”