John Dinsmore McCaull ’21

John Dinsmore McCaull, the last living member of the Class of '21, died on Sept. 29, 1997. He had been hospitalized 15 days for pneumonia in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minn. He was 99.

John had a long, decent life rich with family, business, and local activities. He married Janet Shores McGill, a graduate of Dana Hall, on July 11, 1934. They had two children: a son, Julian '58, born Feb. 22, 1936, and a daughter, Jane, born Nov. 23, 1939. There are now five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, all of whom he adored. It was a close family.

After graduation, John went into the family grain business. In 1931 he and his brother Philip founded the McCaull Lyman grain company. John was v.p. and ultimately president. He continued working into his 90s and was a member of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange for 75 years.

Beginning in the 1930s, John was a vice-commander of the American Veterans Assn., a regular attendee of the Presbyterian Church, and a member of the Minneapolis and Locust Hill Clubs. He was also once a "back row boy" in the chorus of a Junior League production. He supported Roosevelt during the Depression--"the only time I ever voted for a Democrat and probably the last"--but ended up an "independent." Upon graduation, he was voted "the most thorough gentleman" of the class. It was a judgment confirmed down his long life.

The Class of 1921