Donald Clayton Hildum ’52

Our friend and class salutatorian, Don Hildum, died at home in Rochester Hills, Mich., Feb. 5, 1996. Surgery in Dec. 1992 and subsequent treatments could not contain his prostate cancer.

At Princeton, Don held regional and Hibben scholarships, majored in English (Special Program in Humanities), graduated with highest honors, was a junior Phi Beta Kappa, freshman and varsity swimmer, a member of Elm Club, freshman council treasurer, and chair of the Nassau Lit as a senior. Soon after graduation, he married Priscilla Ames.

With a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, he studied linguistics at Harvard, and Priscilla pursued an MA in education there. Don completed his PhD in social psychology in Feb. 1960.

Don taught psychology at Oakland U. for 34 years. He helped to found and then chair their department of communications. Don excelled as teacher and mentor, twice receiving the Outstanding Advising award from the alumni association. With his family Don spent 1967-68 as Fulbright Lecturer at the U. of Ghent in Belgium. He retired in 1995 as emeritus professor; and a scholarship fund was established in his name.

Don is survived by Priscilla, three sons, Ted, Robert, and David, his mother, Isabel M. Hildum, a grandson, brother, and two sisters. We give thanks with them for the light and grace of Don's life.

The Class of 1952