Douglas N. Beatty ’57 *60

Doug came to Princeton from Homewood, Ala. He studied aeronautical engineering, graduating with high honors and election to Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi. He was a member of Dial Lodge and Orange Key, and commandant of the Princeton Air Force ROTC. He roomed with Doug Kerin and Bob Hahn. Doug returned to Princeton for a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering, for which he was elected to Sigma Xi. Doug’s “aeros” were a constant in his life. All gatherings were “grand occasions,” he said. 

After Princeton Doug served his country for 58 years — six years in the Air Force, four in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the rest in private-sector military-defense in both technical and senior management positions. He was an adjunct professor of management at American University. 

Doug was a lay reader in the Episcopal Church and enjoyed building aircraft, tank, and ship models. A 32-inch model of the 1843 USS Princeton, a gunboat, was his major project. A classmate remembers, “He was always cheerful.” His family always came first. He was generous and unassuming. 

Doug died Aug. 17, 2020, of congestive heart failure. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Patti, their two daughters; one son; and four grandchildren.