He entered Princeton from Asheville School and majored in English, graduating summa cum laude, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He was a member of Quadrangle Club and sang in the Chapel choir.
Following Princeton, Bob attended Union Theological Seminary, where he won a Rockefeller Fellowship and was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1957. During his career he served parishes in Albany, N.Y.; Wayzata, Minn.; and Winnetka, Ill.
Long a political activist, Bob had run for mayor of Albany at the age of 27 and later helped to run the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, founded by Ralph Nader ’55. Bob was a prolific writer, authoring 12 books on leadership, philosophy, and theology. He was a longtime trustee at Asheville and served a term as trustee of Princeton during the 1970s.
Bob was predeceased by brothers Bill ’54 and David ’57. He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou; four children, including Rob ’83; 10 grandchildren, including Adam Hudnut-Beumler ’17; and brothers Stew ’61 and Tom ’69. Bob will be missed by all.