John H. Pace Jr. ’39

He entered Princeton with us in 1935, left at the end of freshman year, rejoined us in the fall of 1936, but withdrew again. He then took a special course at Oxford University and joined his father’s firm in Jacksonville. During World War II he served with the Second Infantry Division in the European theater, after which he returned to Florida.

His business and civic associations in Florida and Hawaii were legion. While president of Nelio Chemicals in Jacksonville, he founded several banks and was a member of the Jacksonville Council of 100. An avid conservationist, he received the “Florida Outstanding Conservation Award” in 1964.

John maintained his ties with Princeton through the Princeton Club of Florida. In 1995 he organized a luncheon for Professor Burton Malkiel, who was in Orange Park to talk about the goals of the University's 250th-anniversary campaign. At the end of the luncheon, John came up to Professor Malkiel and said, “I want to give Princeton whatever it will take to help establish the Center for Community Service that is so close to your heart.” The gift was accepted with gratitude and only one argument ensued. Malkiel wanted the center named after John and his wife; John wanted it named after Malkiel. The existence of the Pace Center for Civic Engagement, now housed in Frist Campus Center, shows that Malkiel won the argument.

To Gussie, John’s wife of 68 years, and their seven children; 13 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren, the class extends its sympathy and gratitude.