Samuel Harvey Iams Jr. ’32

ONE OF THE CLEVEREST, most entertaining, and conspicuous of our classmates, Jack Iams died of a stroke on his way from London to the U.S. on Jan. 27, 1990. He had been living in France for 18 years, but recent poor health had persuaded him and his wife Joan to sell their house and return to America.

From the moment he entered Princeton Jack was a standout. Short, round, rosy-faced, with an innocent expression, he was a true free spirit, but also an unusually talented and diligent one. He supplied a stream of jokes, cartoons, and sketches to the TIGER and was a principal in the creation of several Triangle shows. In the voting in senior year he was the overwhelming choice as the wittiest, the most original and the most entertaining man in the Class.

True to his promise, Jack quickly established himself in the world of journalism. He held jobs with the London DAILY MAIL and other papers including the DAILY NEWS and NEWSWEEK. He was a TV editor and the author of numerous magazine articles, but he became best known for a series of hilarious satires and mystery novels His work included such memorable titles as THE COUNTESS TO BOOT and TABLE FOR FOUR. One of Jack's most endearing features was his refusal to take himself seriously. He lived the good life with a vengeance, retired early to enjoy the sun, the tennis and the other amenities of southern France. He was a true original and will be sorely missed by a host of friends. He is survived by his wife Joan, by three children of a former marriage: David Iams, John Iams, and Alice Kittredge. To them we send deepest sympathy.