David Scott Thompson ’39

Dave died Oct. 30, 2007, at Monroe Village in Jamesburg, N.J., a retirement community where he and his wife, Barbara, were living in order to stay close to Princeton, their home since Dave joined the University administration in 1957.

After graduation Dave taught briefly at the Darrow School, then joined the air arm of the Navy. He was a night-fighter pilot aboard the fast-attack carrier USS Bonhomme Richard, stationed off Okinawa and Japan during the final months of the war, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

He next taught at The Hill School for five years, worked briefly in the commercial world, then joined the University to coordinate a $53 million capital-gifts campaign that exceeded its goal by $8 million. He was named Princeton’s director of development in 1961 and six years later was appointed assistant to President Robert Goheen ’40 *48. In 1980, Dave became Princeton’s recording secretary, serving in that capacity until his retirement in 1984. He continued to serve as a member of the Class of 1939 Foundation, winning the Harold Helm Award in 1992 for “exemplary and sustained performance” on behalf of Annual Giving for the class.

Barbara died in 2003. Dave is survived by sons David Jr. and Peter, and two grandchildren. We offer them our sincere sympathy.