Stanley Wheeler Midgley Jr. ’36

Stan died Aug. 10, 2000. He prepared at Phillips Exeter. After Princeton, where he majored in chemistry, he was associated as a research chemist for eight years with Abbott Laboratories.

His hobbies were mountaineering, bicycle riding, and photography. He spent vacations climbing mountains and taking photos, during which time he made 11 first ascents, five of which were achieved alone in the Gore Range in Colorado.

While at Abbott, he showed his slides to his colleagues and many community groups. His side-cracking humor kept the attention of the audiences. In 1946 he entered a national contest and won the first prize of $1,000, featuring his bicycle trip through the Bryce, Zion, and Grand Canyon regions. That did it! His hobby became his vocation. He became a full-time successful travelogue lecturer, traveling in all 50 states and in Canada. He made over 4,000 appearances and showed his films more than 400 times on television.

Stan received many awards for his work. He retired in 1992 following 50 years of convincing his audiences that the U.S. and Canada had the most beautiful mountains and scenery in the world.

He is survived by his wife, Constance Lax Midgley. He was proud to be a Princeton alumnus.

The Class of 1936