James C. Chester ’52

Chips Chester died of brain cancer July 9, 2010, at his home in Washington, D.C.  

Born and raised in Wisconsin, he attended school in Milwaukee and then Phillips Exeter, where he was active in school sports and student government. At Princeton, he played freshman hockey, performed in Theatre Intime and Triangle, and was a member of Ivy Club. He graduated with a degree in English.  

After graduation, he became an Army sergeant and served in Germany. From then on, Chips spent his life pursuing his vocation — diplomacy and foreign affairs — and his avocation — horses. In 14 years in the Foreign Service, he was assigned to Germany, Yugoslavia, and Malawi. Thereafter, he spent 15 years as staff assistant on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  

Among all these accomplishments, Chips’ first love was horses. He rode to the hounds in northern Virginia and served as president of the Fairfax Hunt. Later on, he joined classmates Art Collins and Bob Jiranek in a series of trail rides that eventually took them to every continent except Antarctica.  

Chips’ obituaries in local papers list as survivors three children, seven grandchildren, and four horses. With all his activities — diplomatic, political, and equestrian — Chips still found time to serve as class secretary from 1993 to 1997.