John K. Rudd died Jan. 23, 2010, at his home in Lakeville, Conn.

John prepared for Princeton at Asheville School in Asheville, N.C. At Princeton he majored in mechanical engineering, earned second group departmental honors, and graduated with high honors. He belonged to the Princeton Engineering Society, ASME, and Court Club. Freshman year he roomed with James Shields in Pyne Hall. Sophomore year they roomed together in Henry Hall. Junior and senior years John roomed at Henry Hall with Allen Furbeck.

After earning a master’s degree in engineering at Princeton in 1939, John joined Curtiss-Wright in Patterson, N.J. He was first promoted to senior test engineer and then to assistant project engineer for developing aircraft ignition systems. In 1944, he was promoted to project engineer. In 1947 he left Curtiss-Wright and took courses in statistical analysis and industrial management. He then joined Richardson Scale Co. in Clifton, N.J., as project manager. He retired in 1971 and moved to the family home in Lakeville, Conn.

Besides authoring technical articles, John was a coin and stamp collector and enjoyed building model trains, planes, and boats.

John was predeceased by his wife, the former Virginia Burchfield, whom he married in 1947. He is survived by a son, John Holley Rudd; a grandson, Brian John Rudd; and three cousins. The class offers condolences to them.

Graduate Class of 1939
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Undergraduate Class of 1938