William Henry Sayen IV ’43

Harry died of a heart attack at his Princeton home on May 10, 1999. He was 77. Harry had just finished the first draft of his Trenton Times column; it appeared in print, posthumously, on May 15.

Harry was educated at Princeton Country Day School and Phillips Exeter Academy. His Princeton career was interrupted by WWII, and he graduated in 1947 with the Class of '43.

In 1942-43, Harry served in the American Field Service with the British 8th Army, seeing duty in the Middle East and North Africa. From 1943-45, he was with the U.S. 7th Army in France and Germany.

Harry's early employers included Audience Research, Inc. He then joined the family business, Mercer Rubber Co. He worked his way up the ladder to the presidency, selling the company in 1981.

His love of words finally attracted Harry to the media world; he wrote columns for The Princeton Packet, provided commentary on local radio station WHWH, and ultimately became a regular columnist for The Trenton Times.

Among many other honors attained during his lifetime, Harry was named Mercer County Man of the Year in 1985. He was a triple threat in the sports area, excelling in ice hockey, golf, and bowling.

In 1946, Harry married Isabelle Burns Guthrie, who survives him. He is also survived by their four sons: W. Guthrie, David, George, and Henry, and a grandson, Walker.

To the entire family, we offer our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies.

The Class of 1943