Edmund H. Worthy *76

Ed died March 27, 2021, of metastatic cancer.

Born June 12, 1940, in Washington, D.C., after graduating from Yale in 1963 Ed taught English in Hong Kong at New Asia College for the Yale-China Association. While studying Mandarin there, he met and married one of his teachers, Huei-ling Chow. Bringing his bride to Princeton in 1966, Ed started Ph.D. studies in Chinese history, and she taught Chinese.

After earning a doctorate in 1976, Ed taught part time at George Washington University, published scholarly articles, and founded a journal specializing in Chinese history. 

Shifting from academia to adult and continuing education, Ed led the National Council on Aging’s Division of Life Enrichment, managing a national continuing-education project for older adults and directing a policy center on education and volunteerism.

He entered the museum world as associate director of the Smithsonian Associates, America’s largest museum-education program. He retired as assistant director for education at the National Building Museum.

Ed is survived by his wife, two children, and two grandchildren.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.