Frederick W. Danforth Jr. ’50

Fred died June 13, 2021, in his North Haven, Conn., home.

He graduated from Nichols School in Buffalo, N.Y. At Princeton, where his father was in the Class of  1923, he played varsity hockey, was president of Cottage Club, and majored in economics.

After earning law degrees from Cornell and New York University, he started his legal career in Buffalo with a law firm and as an assistant U.S. attorney. He moved to Washington in 1958 to work at the Justice Department. In 1964 he settled in New Haven, where he held key positions with the Legal Assistance Association, city government, and Travelers Insurance Co. He also served on the police commission, state bar committees, and as editor of the Connecticut Bar Journal. He prided himself as a Princetonian among his many Yale associates.

He studied legal practices under a United Nations fellowship in London, Copenhagen, and Belgrade, and consulted for the federal Office of Economic Opportunity. In 2000, the World Bank president appointed him a consultant on legal services.

Fred was known for his generosity, fairness, and deep concern for others. He played tennis and squash, but sailing consumed him the most.

Fred is survived by his wife of 59 years, Susan; their three children; and six grandchildren.