James O. Westmoreland ’56

Jim died Sept. 21, 2015, due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.

He was born in Memphis, Tenn., and came to Princeton from Soldan-Blewett High School in St. Louis. At Princeton, Jim majored in history, ate at Campus Club, and won the Joline Prize in American history during his senior year.

After serving two years in the Army, he went on to complete his graduate studies at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy. This led to a career with the Department of State, first as a Foreign Service officer assigned to Italy, Kenya, and South Africa, and later as a consultant for the State Department’s cultural and educational affairs office. In 1971, he earned a master’s degree in African studies from UCLA.

Upon his retirement, Jim and his wife, Linda, traveled extensively before settling in Arizona. Jim had a personal commitment to the Meals on Wheels program, volunteering for more than a decade and delivering meals to homebound elderly.

Jim is survived by Linda, daughters Susan and Jill, and three grandchildren.