Ridgely Prentiss Melvin Jr. ’40

Maryland special appeals judge and ocean mariner extraordinaire, Ridgely Melvin died at his Annapolis residence on Oct. 11, 1999. Ridge was born and lived almost his entire life at Melvin Point, overlooking the Chesapeake Bay's South River. He came to Princeton from Alexandra, Va., Episcopal H.S., majored in politics, and was a member of Cap and Gown. He was on the freshman and jayvee swimming teams, played end on our championship 150-lb. football teams, and was active in the Yacht Club. During WWII Ridge served as an officer aboard the battleship Washington in the Pacific naval campaigns. As a devoted yachtsman from childhood, Ridge raced in a variety of classes and won the Triton Class Natl. Championship in the early 1970s. In 1985 he and wife Lucy sailed their sloop Song across the Atlantic. For the next eight years they lived aboard while sailing through European and Mediterranean waters.

Ridge's law career was distinguished both as a judge and trial lawyer. He was a member of the three-judge panel that disbarred V.P. Agnew for "deceitful and dishonest conduct" and found him unfit as a member of the Maryland bar.

The class extends its sympathy to Ridge's entire family including his sister, Elizabeth, widow of Don Patterson. We will miss Ridge.

The Class of 1940