Peter A. Leventritt ’37

World-caliber bridge player and winner of 13 national titles, Pete Leventritt died Dec. 6, 1997, of complications from diabetes, leaving his tuna-fishing expert wife Faith, and stepdaughters Hope Igleheart and Cary Igleheart. His brother David '35 died in 1985.

At St. Paul's, Pete played baseball, hockey, and tennis. At Princeton, he joined Cloister, where, if you yelled "Fourth for bridge," Pete showed up.

He tried professional hockey, then advertising with Brown & Tarcher and Lord & Thomas. He was thrown out of the Army after two days because of injuries from an automobile accident at St. Paul's. Pete turned to bridge as a teacher at The Card School, which he founded. The space is too short to list all his championships. He represented North America in the world team championship, contesting the Bermuda Bowl, on four occasions. Each time, he and his teammates were defeated by the celebrated Italian Blue Team.

His regular partner in world and national championships was the late Howard Schenken, one of the world's best players. Together they created the Big Club system, based on an Italian model.

In 1961 he married Faith Igleheart; they honeymooned at a world championship in Buenos Aires. In 1968 and 1982, Pete coached South African teams for the world championship in France.

The Class of 1937