William Kenmore Schweitzer ’48

Ken was born in Cleveland and died in Midland, Mich., April 4, 2014.

He grew up in Claymont, Del., and entered Princeton in 1944. He was drafted for Army service in Korea, then came back to graduate with a chemical-engineering degree in 1948. He earned a doctorate in chemistry at the University of Cincinnati and joined Dow Chemical Co. in Midland, first as a researcher, and later as a participant in commercialization of a variety of plastic products.

Ken had a variety of other technical and management assignments with Dow worldwide. He received about a dozen patents. Ultimately he became corporate director of economic and strategic planning back in Midland, and retired in 1990. Ken was on the Midland Board of Education and served as city planning commissioner.

He and Shirley Ann (née Karnes) had married in Cincinnati while he was in graduate school. They traveled worldwide together and wintered often in Tucson, Ariz., where Shirley died suddenly in 1999 of acute lymphoma.

Ken then was married for 13 years to Ruth Mitchell, a widow who had been a longtime neighbor and friend of the Schweitzers. Ruth survives him, as does his   son, William Kurt;   brothers Glenn and Dennis; and two grandchildren. Another son, James, died in 1977.