David Paton ’52

Dave died April 3, 2025.

He graduated from The Hill School and studied biology at Princeton. He won the Freshman English Prize and served as senior class vice president, among many other activities. He roomed with Jim Baker and Bill McHenry. Dave’s father, R. Townley Paton, was in the Class of 1925.

Dave graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School in 1959 and joined the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins. In 1970, he joined Baylor College of Medicine, chairing the opthalmology department.

In 1973, he founded an organization, Project Orbis, to gather funds to provide eye care for patients in other parts of the world. To provide care in these areas, he converted a retired United Airlines DC-8 jet into a hospital and filled it with medical treatment and teaching equipment. Orbis flew to many developing countries across the globe, treating patients and training doctors.

The statement accompanying Princeton’s 1985 honorary degree of Doctor of Science to Dave cited him as a visionary for his treatment of visual problems, all while handling his own dyslexia. He earned France’s Legion of Honor, Jordan’s Royal Decoration Award, and the first U.S. Presidential Citizens Medal ever given to a physician.

Dave wrote a remarkable statement in “The Book of Our History” about himself and classmates he leaves behind.

Dave was predeceased by his wife, Diane Johnston, in 2022. He is survived by his son, Townley; and stepchildren Garrison Franke, James Beardmore, and Lauren Ivanhoe.