Thomas R. Mountain ’39

Tom, our football captain who helped put the winning score of Princeton’s 1938 victory over Yale (20-7) forever on our beer jackets — and everywhere else our famous emblem was found — died Dec. 5, 2013. He was 97.

Tom’s lifelong excellence in sports began at Lawrenceville and continued at Harvard Law School, where he was a member of the rugby club’s undefeated team. At Vail, Colo., he won a gold medal in downhill slalom for those over 70. He played golf and tennis into his 90s.

As an Army intelligence officer with the Manhattan Project, he was one of two lieutenants chosen to carry the satchel containing U-235 (encased in nickel) from Oak Ridge to Los Alamos for use in the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. He later served as an aide to Gen. Leslie Groves.

Tom’s career was in law. He specialized in estate planning as a partner with Mountain, Dearborn & Whiting in Worcester, Mass. He was involved in many civic groups, boards, and clubs in the Worcester area.

He is survived by his daughters, Heidi and Lisa; his son, Tom Jr. ’72; his stepson, Duncan; and several grandchildren. We salute this loyal and generous classmate who always spoke (and sang!) of Princeton as “the best old place of all.”