Richard L. Grand-Jean ’64

Rick died Jan. 16, 2026, after a long series of illnesses borne with a remarkable and resilient spirit. He leaves behind a world bereft of his passion to make it better. 

Rick came to Princeton from Clayton (Missouri) High School. At Princeton, he was a member of Campus Club, served as president of the St. Louis Club, business manager for the Nassau Lit, and prepared his thesis for the Wilson School on “Roosevelt’s Decision to Aid the Allies.”  

Rick earned a law degree from the University of Chicago and then joined Salomon Brothers Investment Bank, helping create their London office and later becoming managing director. He moved on to the same position at Hall Capital Partners, a firm founded by Kate Hall ’80, former chair of the University’s Board of Trustees. 

Rick had a great love of life, was an avid tennis player, a voracious reader, born storyteller with a sparkling wit, and had a gift for deep and lasting friendships. He was a fierce believer in social justice and led a life of political activism, starting with the 1968 McCarthy presidential campaign and later co-founding “Democrats Abroad” in London and the locally influential Santa Barbara Independent newspaper. 

Rick married journalist Christine Doudna in 1983. To Christine, their two children, Molly and Michael, his twin brother Steven, his sister Mimi and their families, the class offers its condolences.