James K. Meritt ’47

When Jim died Jan. 2, 2012, Princeton and the Class of 1947 lost a good friend.

Jim entered Princeton in November 1943 in the Navy V-12 program. Before returning to the University in 1946, he served in the American theater and separated as an ensign. Jim graduated magna cum laude in February 1948. After a short time working on Wall Street he was called to serve in the Korean conflict for 3 1/2 years.

In 1954, Jim joined General Electric and in 1959 was transferred to the company’s Philadelphia plant, where he worked as a financial analyst. Upon his retirement in 1984, Jim and his wife, Rose, moved to Turnersville, N.J.

Jim’s great interest after career and family was ornithology, which involved studying birds in America and a lot of international travel. On other occasions Jim and his family took trips to different parts of the West. He followed Princeton sports and attended football and men’s and women’s lacrosse games. Jim also was a frequent presence at Reunions.

Jim was predeceased by his first wife, Ann Farr, in 1959, and by Rose and his son Andrew in 1999. The class extends its deepest sympathy to his sons James Jr. and his wife, Marilyn, and Ben; his daughter, Cornelia, and her husband, Robert; and his brother, Arthur ’57.