Robert Dickey III ’39

Bob died at his Pittsburgh home Aug. 24, 2004, after a relatively short illness.

He had retired from the Dravo Corp. in 1983, after 35 years there, 18 of which he spent as chairman, president, and chief executive officer. He joined Dravo after his service with the Navy in World War II, during which he reached the rank of lieutenant commander and held the Secretary of the Navy Commendation with Ribbon Bar and the Navy Legion of Merit. He made a name for himself at Dravo, but in Pittsburgh he is widely remembered and honored as the founding chairman of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, through which he helped to transform a sagging portion of downtown into a cultural trust that has won national acclaim. A fellow trustee described Bob as a visionary who didn't just lend his name but also his time, talent, and resources to the creation of the cultural district.

Having majored in engineering, Bob was delighted when Dravo established an engineering scholarship at Princeton in his name. His wife, Betty, survives as do daughters Diana Joss and Susan Dickey Gilmore, son Robert IV '77, and six grandchildren. We offer them our sincere sympathy, even as we celebrate the life of our distinguished friend.

The Class of 1939