Tom died Aug. 11, 2012.
He was born Jan. 28, 1927, in Oxford, Ala. After being named valedictorian of his class at the McCallie School, he became the fifth member of his family to attend Princeton. He was a history major, member of Phi Beta Kappa, and recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. He graduated summa cum laude. Tom belonged to Tower Club, Whig-Clio, the Westminster Society, and the Student Christian Association. After Princeton he studied creative writing with Hudson Strode at the University of Alabama.
Tom had at least two careers. As a writer, his novel, Buttermilk Road, appeared in 1963, and one of his published short stories, “Something to Explain,” was included in the O. Henry Prize Stories of 1959. Another story was produced as a play by the Canadian Broadcasting System. He also became an entrepreneur, working with the Merrimac Land Corp., the Heart of Anniston (Ala.) Inn, and a chain of proprietary business schools.
Tom was a deacon and elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Anniston, a library-board member, avid reader, and movie buff.
The class extends sympathy to his wife, Zoe; his sons, Charles, John, and Stuart; daughter Caroline ’82; his stepchildren; his grandchildren; and his step-grandchildren.