H. William Koch Jr. ’47

Returning to Princeton he led a busy life, notably as a cum laude sociology graduate and a varsity football player who earned designation as an All-American tackle in 1948.

Bill fell in love with Doris Rossi in 1942. She waited patiently, and immediately after his graduation in 1949, they were married, remaining lovers thereafter.

Bill enjoyed a very successful career in advertising. However, influenced by his sociology training, he turned some attention to helping beginners learn the science of effective management, authoring 10 books that were “spiced with advice” on how to be a “humane” executive.

He maintained an intense loyalty to ’47 and Princeton, serving as class treasurer and a leader in regional alumni activities. In our 25th yearbook, Bill wrote an amusing report on a sampling of our responses to a questionnaire about our then-diverse views on marriage, money, and coeds   — inter alia — a piece worth reading today as we reflect on these subjects. As he looked back, Bill advised his children and grandchildren to look at change with an abiding “sense of humor . . . and curiosity.”

Bill died June 25, 2009. We tender this celebration of his life to Doris and the family.