William I. Bacchus ’62

Bill died Jan. 23, 2013, in Arlington, Va., of esophageal and liver cancer.

Bill came to Princeton from Albuquerque’s Highland High School. He roomed with Oliver Luetscher, dined at Campus, and was in the NROTC and Whig-Clio. After four years of Navy submarine service in the Philippines and San Diego, he earned a Ph.D. in political science at Yale.

He had a teaching stint at UVA before a project for “State” lured him to that agency. Bill was instrumental in drafting the 1980 Foreign Service Act and did a study called State 2000 between the administrations of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Bill married Mary Dreiling in 1965 while in the Philippines. He spent his working life in the D.C. area, moved to management positions at USAID in 1993, and retired in 2001. He was an active supporter of Princeton and a diligent contributor to ’62’s superb 50th yearbook.  

In addition to a State Department Distinguished Service Award, he received a ’62 class service award. Bill was proudly progressive, served his country well, and thought we should think twice about entering wars.

The class extends its condolences to his widow, Mary, and to his brother, Charley.