John N. Irwin II ’37

Jack Irwin, who was born in Keokuk, Iowa, died Feb. 28, 2000. Surviving are his wife, Jane, four sons, one daughter, and one grandchild.

Jack came to Lawrenceville riding in a hay wagon his senior year and was elected pres., beside excelling in football and being track capt. and cum laude.

We would need several pages to extol all his accomplishments, but he majored in politics at Princeton, and was an honor graduate in military science (lt.-col. in ROTC). Beside many other honors, he was again capt. of the track team, class pres. for four years, and was awarded the Bonthron Cup for sportsmanship, play, and influence in track. He won. the hurdles in the Drake Relays, 1937 Princeton Invitation Meet, and All-British Empire Championship. When a teammate dropped the baton in a mile relay race in Madison Square Garden, he made up an impossible half lap to win. He was very active in alumni work.

After a degree from Oxford, he banked and went to night law school, just in time to spend five years in the Pacific on Gen. MacArthur's staff, winning many medals, including the top government award of Medal of Freedom, and coming out our only full col.

Pres. Nixon appointed Jack to various positions, including special emissary to Peru in 1969 during a crisis of relations with the Lima junta, and Under Secy. of State in 1971, averting a threatened world crisis by Iran in the Middle East. In 1973, he was appointed ambassador to France.