Isaac Bates Grainger ’17

Ike Grainger died Oct. 12, 1999 in Wilmington, N.C. He was 104.

He prepared for Princeton at Woodberry Forest School. At Princeton he was a member of Tiger Inn. On Aug. 4, 1917, he married Catherine Garrett, who died in 1987. They had three sons: Isaac B. Jr., William Garrett (deceased), and John Victor. During WWI, he served as an infantry captain and officer training school instructor in Georgia. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living veteran in New Hanover County, N.C.

Ike held executive positions with Murchison Natl. Bank of Wilmington, North Carolina Bank & Trust Co. of Greensboro, and Montclair Trust Co. in N.J., where he was pres. In 1943 he joined Chemical Bank of NYC (now Chase Manhattan), where he was pres. from 1956-60, when he reached mandatory retirement age. Afterward, he was a lifetime bank adviser.

He served on numerous corporate boards and was active in many philanthropic organizations. He had a lifelong interest in golf and was a past pres. of the US Golf Assn. In 1988 he received the USGA's Bob Jones Award for distinguished sportsmanship in golf. He also served as pres. of the US Seniors' Golf Assn. and Metropolitan Golf Assn., which gave him its 1984 distinguished service award.

He is survived by sons Ike Jr. and Vic, six grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter, to all of whom the class extends its deepest sympathy.

The Class of 1917