Thomas L. Haskell ’61

Tom died July 12, 2017, in Houston from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Born in Arlington, Va., Tom came to us from Washington and Lee High School. At Princeton he majored in American and modern European history, ate at Cap and Gown, was battalion commander in the NROTC, and roomed with Jim Cole and Frank Odo.

After four years in the Navy, he earned a Ph.D. in history at Stanford, where he met his wife-to-be, Dorothy Ann Wyatt. He spent the next 39 years at Rice University in Houston, winning many awards for his stirring lectures and dedication to his students. He became a leading scholar in U.S. intellectual history and made a mark in a range of fields, including the history of the anti-slavery movement, the history of the professions, and the nature of objectivity. According to his obituary in the Houston Chronicle, he was happiest when riding his bike and climbing mountains in Crested Butte with his family.

Tom is survived by Dorothy; son Alexander ’92 and daughter Susan Khan and their families, which include six grandchildren, who knew him as “Baba”; and a nephew, John Wyatt ’89.