William M. Spencer Jr. ’50

Bill died at home in Nicasio, Calif., Jan. 24, 2003, after a long illness and five weeks before his 74th birthday.

Born in Chicago, Bill entered Princeton from Deerfield. His outgoing personality and leadership qualities were manifested in many ways: running a weekly Student Christian Assn. Boys Club group, chairing '50's Memorial Insurance Fund, serving as Colonial Club president, and lettering in soccer. A history major, he graduated with honors.

Bill's career after army duty in Korea reflected his imagination and eagerness to broaden his horizons: salt-factory trainee; Latin teacher; uranium miner in Colorado; stockbroker; McKinsey consultant (including two years in Australia, where he became involved in cattle ranching); advanced management degree from Harvard; and Kilmer & Spencer consulting and George Printing, both in San Francisco.

He found time to run our fourth mini in San Francisco in 1986, to rescue the 1915 Model T Ford at our 25th — which his father's class ('15) had given us 10 years earlier — and to stay involved with California politics in a variety of ways.

In 1956 Bill married Peggy Donner, who predeceased him. To their three sons, Bill, Bob, and Hunter, brother Edson '47, sister Suzanne, and six grandchildren, the class extends its sympathy.

The Class of 1950