Peter C. Dodd ’50

Peter spent his life encouraging understanding between Muslim cultures and the West. He died Nov. 25, 2010, in Victoria, British Columbia.

He graduated from South Kent (Conn.) School just before his 15th birthday and took a year off to return to Beirut, Lebanon, where he was born and his family was living. He was our youngest classmate, entering Princeton a few months after his 16th birthday. Peter, whose father was Stuart C. Dodd ’22, was involved with Theatre Intime and ROTC and belonged to Cloister. He graduated from SPIA with highest honors, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and received the Johnston Prize.  

After traveling, studying, and teaching in Seattle, Peter entered Harvard in 1958, where he received a Ph.D. in sociology. He taught for 20 years at the American University of Beirut, worked 10 years with UNESCO in Beirut and Baghdad, and spent 10 years with the Fulbright Foundation in Islamabad. His return to the American University was cut short by war in Lebanon and he retired to Victoria. There he was active in the Canadian Institute of International Affairs.

Our sympathy goes to his wife, Erica; children Frances, Kika, Alex, and Daniel ’93; and his brother, Bruce ’53.