James Wilcox Sayre ’37

Jim died Feb. 15, 2002, in Robbinsdale, Minn. He came to us from Montclair [N.J.] HS and majored in French. Following graduation, he took an MA in history from Montclair State College in 1946. He worked for GMAC and taught school until entering the USNR. James served in the Pacific theater and Japan as an electronics maintenance technician. Following discharge, he taught at Culver Military Academy until 1952. That year he joined the CIA, serving in the US, Lebanon, Thailand, and Laos. After retiring in 1975, he moved to Aitken, Minn., where he recruited for the agency in the upper Midwest until 1992. He developed a strong interest in the "eternal verities" and had countless sessions trying to persuade the region's reactionary right of the wisdom of the liberal Eastern establishment.

He married Elaine M. Finke in 1940, and enjoyed 61-plus marvelous years with her; his family grew to number five children, 11 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

He received awards for service from the US government and Thailand, and he wished memorial contributions to go to the Heifer Project, which he introduced to Aitken. We offer our sincere sympathies to his wife, Elaine, son James, and daughters Elizabeth Gray, Pamela Pickard, and Stephanie Gray.

The Class of 1937