William F. Ogden Jr. ’53

Bill was born in Atlanta, but moved to Chicago with his family at the age of 5 and grew up in that city. He came to Princeton from the Chicago Latin School for Boys, majored in economics, and was a member of Cap and Gown. His thesis topic was “Analysis of Problems Maintaining a Supply of Iron Ore for the United States.” 

After college he joined the Navy, went to Officer Candidate School, and spent three years on a gas tanker in the Mediterranean. He began his business career with Manufacturers Hanover Bank in New York and earned a law degree from NYU Law School. He met Elinor Ketting in New York, married her, and moved to Minnesota, where he worked for the First National Bank of Minneapolis until 1976, when he opened his own consulting business. 

Love of fishing led him to Montana, where he created Eagle Rock Reserve, an open-space development in Bozeman. In retirement, Bill served a term as class president and was active in the St. Paul-Minneapolis Committee on Foreign Relations, the Westminster Presbyterian Church, and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. 

Bill died May 11, 2018, of complications of Parkinson’s disease and heart disease. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Elinor; their three children; and four grandchildren.