Bruce McDuffie ’42 *47

Portrait
Image
Body

 

Bruce died Sept. 12, 2014, in Chattanooga, Tenn.

He prepared for Princeton at Boys High School in Atlanta. At Princeton, Bruce earned a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry. He belonged to Charter Club. For many years, Bruce served as the chairman of the Annual Giving campaigns for the Class of 1942.

Bruce taught analytic chemistry at Emory University, Washington and Jefferson College, and SUNY Binghamton, where he was a professor for more than 30 years. His students dubbed him the “smiling assassin” for his pleasant demeanor and strict grading policies.

In 1970, he made headlines with his discovery of high concentrations of methyl mercury in tuna and swordfish. Bruce remained active and engaged in teaching and environmental movements until retiring in 1988.

Bruce is survived by his wife of 64 years, Winifred “Wini” Groover McDuffie; three children; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. The class extends its sympathy to them all.

No responses yet

Join the conversation

Plain text

Full name and Princeton affiliation (if applicable) are required for all published comments. For more information, view our commenting policy. Responses are limited to 500 words for online and 250 words for print consideration.

Paw in print

Image
The cover of PAW’s November 2025 issue, featuring a photo of a space probe and the headline "Made in Princeton."
The Latest Issue

November 2025

NASA’s new IMAP mission, London’s big data detective, AI challenges in the classroom.