Michael L. Strang ’51

Published in the March 18, 2015, Issue

Mike was born June 17, 1929, in New Hope, Pa., to Ellen Lathrop and Stephen B. Strang ’23. In 1932, the family moved to a ranch near Golden, Colo., where Mike was home-schooled by his father.

He entered Princeton with ’51, roomed with Peter Denby, and left in 1949 to join the Army. The bulk of his service was at Fort Benning as an Officer Candidate School trainer. Mike returned to Princeton in the fall of 1954, where he rowed heavyweight crew, played polo, and lived at Colonial. He majored in history and graduated in 1956, retaining his affiliation with ’51.

Mike and Kathleen (“Kit”) Sherry were married in 1960 and moved to the western slope of the Rockies. In 1965, they bought a ranch near Carbondale, Colo., where they raised Hereford cattle and thoroughbred horses. In 1967, he co-founded the Roaring Fork Hounds Pony Club.

Mike served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1970 to 1974 and in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1984 for one term.

He died Jan. 12, 2014, and is survived by Kit; their daughters, Laurie and Bridget; son Scott ’84; and four grandchildren. Another son, Lathrop, predeceased Mike, as did his brother, Bart Strang ’57.