Earle Graham Helton ’51

Earle came to Princeton from Decatur, Ga., having won the NROTC scholarship at Decatur High School. Earning a degree in chemistry and naval science, he also had the good fortune of meeting his wife of 66 years, Virginia French, an accomplished organist and Westminster Choir College grad. A member of Campus Club, Earle was on the fencing team and active in a variety of campus organizations. He roomed with Bill Coale, Lou Emanuel, and Dick Williams. 

After three years serving on the USS Norris, an antisubmarine destroyer, Earle joined the research and development division of Procter & Gamble, where he did research on personal-care products in Cincinnati for 29 years. He then did regulatory work for P&G Pharmaceuticals in Norwich, N.Y., until he moved to Ipswich, Mass., upon retirement in 1994. During his career he did postgraduate work at Cornell, Michigan, and Cincinnati. 

Earle died Aug. 14, 2019. He is survived by his wife, Virginia, and and three children.