Lowell D. White ’49 *56

Lowell White died May 23, 2013, in Irvine, Calif.

Lowell entered Princeton after two-plus years in the Army. While in the service, he was wounded and captured by the Germans. They provided excellent care for his wounded hands, and he always credited them with saving his life. He eventually received a Purple Heart with two clusters.

At Princeton, Lowell joined Court Club and majored in physics. He graduated with high honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He subsequently received his doctorate in   physics from Princeton in 1956. Shortly after, he joined Bell Laboratories, retiring after 35 years. His work involved research on various projects   such as quartz oscillators and undersea optic cables.

At Commencement in June 1949, Lowell delivered the traditional class salutatorian address in Latin. It ended with the following words: “Itaque, amici, avete atque valete!” Translated, the words mean “Friends, hail and farewell,” and they are indeed still appropriate for all of us in ’49 as we celebrate Lowell’s life.

He is survived by his daughter, Mary Thomsen, and his sons, David and Douglas. His wife, Ethel, died in 2001.