David S. Plumb ’38 *39

David S. Plumb died May 12, 2013, at his home in St. Louis, Mo. He was 94.

David was born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., and then lived in Bronxville, N.Y., where he prepared at Bronxville High School. His major at Princeton was chemical engineering, and he belonged to Dial Lodge. He earned first-group departmental honors sophomore and junior years, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa his junior year. He was an officer of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers junior and senior years, received the Monsanto Fellowship in Chemical Engineering, and graduated with highest honors.

During his freshman year he roomed alone at 205 Henry. Sophomore year he roomed with W.P. Whitlock III at 314 Henry, and junior and senior years with Whitlock at 324 Henry.

By the age of 21, David had completed his master’s degree in chemical engineering and joined Monsanto Chemical Co. at its plastics division in Springfield, Mass. He was assigned to assist in the war effort by developing SAFLEX, the thin film of plastic that now exists between two plates of glass in every car windshield. In 1961 he was transferred to Monsanto’s St. Louis home office.

He is survived by three children, seven grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren, to all of whom the class offers its deepest sympathy.