John H. Raubitschek ’64

John died Jan. 29, 2021, in Midlothian, Va. He had lived in an assisted-living facility since 2017, and the isolation induced by COVID-19 appears to have contributed to his rapid decline over the past year.

John was born and grew up in Princeton, son of Princeton classics professor A.E. Raubitschek and Isabelle Raubitschek, a Latin teacher at Miss Fine’s School. Before entering Princeton, John attended Georgetown Prep in Rockville, Md. At Princeton he majored in chemistry and was a member of Key and Seal Club.

Soon after graduation, John joined the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, while attending Georgetown Law School, where he earned a law degree in 1969. Combining his knowledge of chemistry with his legal training, he served 45 years as a patent and intellectual-property attorney in several federal agencies. He considered his most important achievement to have been the primary drafter of implementing legislation of the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 and the 2000 Technology Transfer Commercialization Act on patenting inventions by government employees. He regularly served Princeton on the DC Alumni Schools Committee and enjoyed interviewing prospective students.

John is survived by his son, Jeffrey; daughter, Tamara Pringle; and three grandchildren. During the Class of  ’64’s 50th reunion in 2014, he was especially happy to visit the Institute for Advanced Study, which had brought his father to Princeton from his native Vienna in 1938, months after the Nazi Anschluss.