Richard Garrett Vail ’56

Richard Garrett Vail, a longtime resident of Westport and Southbury, Conn., died May 31, 2007, in Southbury after a brief illness.

Dick was a passionate believer in justice and equal rights for all. After graduating cum laude from Princeton, he went on to the University of Virginia Law School, earning his degree in 1959.

Dick’s career was devoted to labor relations, beginning in 1959, and included work for the National Labor Relations Board, Philip Morris, and others. After creating a system for clarifying the skills needed for hiring workers, he formed Vail Associates in 1980, which created the Job Analysis Numerous Use System. Dick worked on this for the rest of his life, and it brought him joy and fulfillment. In his final years he worked on a book about labor history with, literally, thousands of citations in its bibliography.

Dick will be remembered for his honesty, intellect, and sense of humor.

Dick is survived by his four children, Garrett Walker Vail, Sara Catharine Vail, Alfred Cresson Vail II, and William Ward Vail. Memorial contributions may be made to Save the Children, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880.