Robert Anthony Bender ’42 *49

Bob came to Princeton from Thomas Jefferson High School in Elizabeth, N.J. At college he was a member of an outstanding tennis team, which, in his junior year, won the Ivy League championship. Four of his five brothers were Princeton undergraduates, and Bob roomed with two of them during his college years. He joined Elm Club, majored in history, and graduated with honors.  

During World War II, Bob was a first lieutenant in the Army and served as a liaison officer for Gen. MacArthur’s staff in Japan.  

Following the war Bob received a master’s degree in history at Princeton. He began a teaching career at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, from which he ultimately retired as professor in the department of political science. He continued his interest in tennis, serving as a tennis coach at the Naval Academy and in Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.  

Bob also evolved into a master gardener. His wildflower garden behind his house in Annapolis was evidence of his love for plants and his skill in this domain.  

To his wife, Betsy; his son, Frank; and his daughter, Susan Russell; the class sends its sympathy.