Bissell Jenkins Middleton ’48

Jenks died June 15, 2025, at age 98.

Born in Charleston, S.C., Jenks grew up in Rochester before graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy and then entering Princeton. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the School of Public and International Affairs. He was a cheerleader and a member of Cottage Club. Jenks served in Japan, the Philippines, Germany, and the Netherlands while in the U.S. Maritime Service in 1945-46.

After earning his J.D. at Harvard in 1952, Jenks had a six-decade career practicing law, which involved both private practice in New York and with the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He served as a vice president of the Import-Export Bank of the United States before concluding his career with 25 years of private practice in Washington, D.C., focusing on international trade, investment, and finance law. He retired in 1994.

Jenks’ ties to Princeton were deep: Two brothers — E.W. Middleton ’46 and J.G. Middleton ’53 — attended, as did two cousins — Thomas H. Middleton ’48 and Augustus L. Middleton ’52. Jenks served as class treasurer and volunteered for several class and University activities. In our 50th-reunion yearbook, he said: “Princeton provided a solid educational base for career and living and established lifelong friendships and interests.”

Jenks and his wife, Lydia, who married in 1964, spent most of their married lives in Great Falls, Va. Lydia died in 2004. He is survived by his two daughters, Lydia and Jennifer; three grandsons; and two great-grandsons.