Charles B. Renfrew ’52

Charlie graduated from Birmingham (Mich.) High School, then served in the Navy before coming to the class. He majored in SPIA, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, joined Cottage, rowed crew, and was on the Bric-a-Brac board. His roommates were Dave Allen, Gren Garside, and Bill Ragland.

After service in the Army Field Artillery, he earned a law degree at Michigan and practiced with Pillsbury, Madison, and Sutro in San Francisco until President Richard Nixon appointed him district judge for the Northern District of California. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed him deputy attorney general. In 1983, Charlie joined Chevron Corp. as general counsel for 10 years before forming his own firm.

To list all of Charlie’s professional and personal distinctions would take more space than we have here, but let it be noted that he served as an alumni trustee of Princeton and taught at the University of California School of Law.

He died Dec. 14, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and eight children, including  Todd ’85. His daughter Taylor predeceased him. The class offers its sympathies and respect for Charlie’s exceptional services to our country.