J. Mahlon Buck Jr. ’46

Jim Buck died March 16, 2011, of heart failure at his home in Haverford, Pa.  

Jim, a man of many interests, and his brothers were involved part owners of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. Another passion of his was music. He sang with the Nassoons and Triangle Club at Princeton, and supported the Philadelphia Orchestra as a patron and trustee.

After graduating from the Haverford School in 1942, Jim entered Princeton that summer. He enlisted in the Army in 1943, serving in the 92nd Field Artillery Division, which saw action at the Battle of the Bulge. He returned to Princeton to graduate in 1948.

Jim joined family in Smith Kline & French’s wholesale drug distribution business. In 1965, he and his brothers, Alexander and William, bought part of the company and renamed it Drug House Inc. He was chairman when the business was sold to Alco Standard in 1977. He also founded a capital holding company, TDH Capital, with his brothers in the 1970s.  

Jim is survived by his wife of 58 years, Elia Durr; a daughter, Caroline Rogers ’77; a son, James III ’81; his brother William; and six grandchildren. The class expresses its deep sympathy to all the family.