Joel Davidow ’60

Joel died Oct. 16, 2025. We lost a well-remembered undergraduate scholar who always acknowledged his debt to his inspiring teachers at the Woodrow Wilson School and the collegial atmosphere there. He modeled his professional life on those examples. Joel proudly led the debate team and received four of the University’s most prestigious graduating awards. He frequently spoke of his affection for Princeton despite having been part of the infamous 1958 dirty bicker and was active in class alumni activities.

Joel earned a law degree at Columbia in 1963. He was an instructor, graduate student, and editor of the Law Review Notes at Stanford in 1964 before beginning a five-year stint in Washington, D.C.: two years at the Federal Trade Commission, and three with the Department of Justice Antitrust Division.

He went on to specialize in antitrust and monopoly law with a succession of law firms in Chicago and New York. He continued teaching, writing, and contributing to U.S. and international regulatory initiatives in the field. He developed regulatory structures for the U.N. and advised more than 20 developing nations’ economies, including Russia in the 1990s.

Joel married three times. He remained close to his four daughters, two from each of the first two marriages. He is survived by his third wife, Gwenn Rosenthal; his daughters; and five grandchildren.