Richard Mateer Douglas ’44

Dick died Aug. 29, 2005, in Needham, Mass., not far from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was revered as an inspiring head of the humanities department, a mentor to two generations of junior faculty, and a historian with a maverick intellect.

Born in Cleveland, he prepped at the University School. At Princeton, he played freshman football, was a member of the Freshman Governing Council, and later of the Glee Club and Cottage Club. Dick's roommates included John Eide and Dick LeBlond. He earned a degree in history, rose to captain in the Marine Corps in just three years, then earned master's and doctoral degrees from Harvard. He was a Fulbright scholar in France, specializing in medieval and Renaissance history.

Dick taught at Wooster, Brown, and Amherst before his appointment as chairman of the MIT Department of Humanities in 1962. Retiring in 1991, he served as a member of the Newton (Mass.) School Committee. Writing in our 50th-reunion directory, Dick marveled at the extraordinary events of our era and our broad range of achievements, concluding that our class had "lived historically."

Our appreciation of him goes to his wife, Mary; sons Samuel W., Andrew S. and David M.; a granddaughter, Sara, and three stepsons.

The Class of 1944