John T. Osander ’57

Classmate and former Princeton director of admission, Jack died March 24, 2023. A graduate of Washburn High School in Minneapolis, Minn., where he was editor of the school newspaper, he also showed an interest in dramatics. This became his main extracurricular activity at Princeton as a composer and actor and then president of the Triangle Club. He majored in English and became a member and vice president of Tower Club.  

Upon graduation, Jack pursued a career in academia, teaching English and theater at the Blake School in Minneapolis. He then took theater direction at Yale Drama School and obtained a master’s degree in education at Harvard. Thereafter he taught English and theater at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Massachusetts. He soon met Patricia Sinreich, and they were married in Worcester, Mass., in 1961.

In 1963 they came to Princeton, where Jack began working in the admissions department, becoming director in 1966. He served in that capacity until 1971, overseeing the admission of women to the University for the first time and increasing minority enrollment by 20%. There followed leadership roles at Educational Testing Service, the New Jersey Education Department, and the Carnegie Foundation, along with his publishing five books in his fields of interest. After retirement he published several novels, acted in various plays on Broadway, and appeared on the Ed Sullivan and Ernie Kovacs shows. 

Jack is survived by his former wife, Patty; sons Thomas and Christopher; and three grandchildren.