J. Merrill Knapp ’36

OUR HONORARY CLASSMATE Merrill died of cancer Mar. 7, 1993, at the Princeton Medical Center. He graduated from Yale in 1936.

He was born in NYC and graduated from the Hotchkiss School. After teaching at the Thatcher School in Ojai, Calif., and acting as assistant director of the Yale Glee Club, he spent two years at Columbia as a teaching assistant, while earning a master's degree. From 194246, he served as a navy operations officer for the Third Amphibious Force. He earned two battle stars and a commendation ribbon.

Merrill retired in 1982 after a 36year career at Princeton, which he began as director of the Glee Club. Concurrently, he was a faculty member in the music department. He subsequently served as dean of the college from 19611966 and was chairman of his department from 194951.

He was an authority on Handel. He authored THE MAGIC OPERA in 1972 and coauthored HANDEL'S OPERAS 17041726 in 1987. He was a regular conductor of the Princeton Society of Musical Amateurs.

Merrill is survived by two daughters and four grandchildren. We will miss our honorary classmate, who led an interesting and productive life.

The Class of 1936