A native of Long Island, Tom was drafted into the Army after his first year at Princeton. He was sent to the Philippines, where he served in Manila and Corregidor. He had been shipped overseas to join the Sixth Division for the invasion of Japan, but Japan’s surrender in the war effectively ended his mission.
Tom returned to Princeton, graduating in 1949 with a degree in psychology. He was president of the Camera Club, assistant manager of the football team, a member of Court Club, and worked for the Nassau Lit and Nassau Herald. A month after he graduated, he married Betty Annis.
Tom had a long career in the CIA, including service with the psychological warfare unit, and was based in Saigon, Singapore, and Washington, D.C. After retiring in 1977, he continued as a consultant with the CIA, which awarded him the Career Intelligence Medal.
Retirement allowed Tom to pursue lifelong interests. He became a freelance photographer and practiced handgun shooting and marksmanship, with certification as an NRA pistol instructor.
In our 50th-reunion yearbook, Tom said that “the three foremost defining events” in his life were, “in chronological order, being admitted to and graduating from Princeton, marrying my wife, Betty (and then raising three wonderful children with her), and pursuing a career in the CIA. If I had failed to reach any of these fundamental goals, my life would have been very different, and, I think, nowhere near as fulfilling as it has been.”
Tom is survived by daughters Barbara Henning and Catherine Hallin; seven grandsons; and 14 great-grandchildren. Betty and son Robert predeceased him. The Class of 1948 sends its best wishes in memory of our delightful classmate.