Thomas Grant III ’64

Tom died May 13, 2021, in Dalian, China. He was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Charlotte, N.C. At Princeton he majored in English and was a member of Charter Club. Tom was active on Tiger magazine and the Princeton Response Committee. His thesis on the heroines of James Joyce and D.H Lawrence led to his graduating cum laude, and his love of literature and language resonated through all his life and work. 

Tom’s marriage to Sandy Carr brought them two sons who often stayed in his apartment on Central Park West after their divorce. His public relations career in New York City and his friends in the arts and politics led to a seat on the board of directors of the Empire State Pride Agenda, a gay-rights political action committee. In 2008 he settled in Dalian, a Manchurian coastal city, where he and partner Andy Hou co-founded the Manhattan American School of English. The school enrolls more than 100 students, many of whom go on to leadership roles in China.

Late in life Tom published two books: Lake Pontchartrain: A Novel of Love and Betrayal (Vanguard Press) and The Chinese Mandolin. He was noted for his humor and hospitality, skill in the kitchen, merciless political analyses, and love of travel and dogs.

Tom is survived by Andy, his longtime partner; sons, Thomas and Turner; brother Mitchell; and his sister-in-law, Melinda.