John D. Langlois Jr. ’64 *74

Jack Langlois died Aug. 19, 2010, after a lengthy battle with gallbladder cancer. He was truly a Princetonian in the world’s service.

Born Oct. 8, 1942, in Glen Cove, N.Y., he attended the Wheatley School, graduating as class president. At Princeton, he focused on Oriental languages and literature with Professor Fritz Mote, a lifelong mentor and friend. After earning a master’s degree at Harvard, Jack taught English in Taiwan as a Princeton-in-Asia fellow and met his wife Hsin-i. He returned to Princeton to earn his Ph.D. in 1974, then joined the faculty at Bowdoin and served as chairman of the history department.

In 1982, he transitioned from academia to join Morgan Guaranty Trust. With his knowledge of Asian culture and languages, he rapidly became one of America’s preeminent bankers in Asia, holding positions with J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley and serving on the board of the Agricultural Bank of China. Along the way, he earned an M.B.A. at NYU, and 10 years ago returned to Princeton for two years to teach a popular course on “Banking in China.”

His roommate, Charlie Henkin, speaks for all of us in saying we have “the fondest memories of this guy.” To Hsin-i, Jack’s wife of 43 years, and the family, the class extends deepest sympathy.