Bevis Longstreth Jr. ’56

Bevis, of Philipstown, N.Y., died May 2, 2026.

He followed his father Bevis Longstreth Sr. 1915 to Princeton from The Hill School. Bevis joined Ivy Club, majored in basic engineering, and played club rugby and varsity ice hockey. After two years in the Marines and three years at Harvard Law School, Bevis joined the New York law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton. In 1963, he married Radcliffe graduate Clara S. St. John, then a music teacher at the Riverdale School and later music director of the New Amsterdam Singers.

Bevis pursued a dual career as lawyer and author. President Reagan appointed him commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission serving from 1981 to 1984. As a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, he taught at Columbia Law School as an adjunct professor, followed by service as a trustee of The New School and member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Bevis’ books include three historical novels spanning 25 centuries of adventure from ancient Persia to the Depression era in the United States as well as a guide to modern investment.

Bevis is survived by his wife Clara; their three children Katherine Shiras, Thomas Day, and Benjamin Hoyt; and nine grandchildren.