William Stowe Rawls ’37

Bill died of heart failure March 20, 2004, in Ambler, Pa.

He prepped at the Kent [Conn.] School, earned his degree in history, and graduated with honors and membership in Phi Beta Kappa, and letters in football, wrestling, and tennis. At our 50th reunion, he wrote that he still played tennis, and that when he married Hope Knowles in 1943, she was ranked seventh among United States tennis players. Bill earned a law degree from Harvard in 1940 and enlisted in the Army Air Corps.

He flew B-24s over Germany and Yugoslavia. On his 11th mission, Bill and his crew were shot down, but Yugoslav partisans guided them back to Italy. He flew more than 21 additional missions, became a squadron commanding officer, and received a Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with three clusters.

He settled in Chestnut Hill, Pa., and became a senior litigator with Ballard, Spahr, Andrews and Ingersoll from 1945-80. For the next five years, he was assistant attorney under Gov. Richard Thornburgh. During the 1950s and '60s, Bill was chairman of the Philadelphia Republican Party, was president of the Philadelphia Urban League in 1967, ran unsuccessfully for City Council, and often clashed with Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo over police treatment of minorities. One of his sons said, "My father had broad shoulders and never ducked out of work; he stood up and did the job without grandstanding."

We offer sincere sympathy to Hope; sons W. Lee '66, Thomas '68, Stephen, Harry,

and John; daughters May Rogers '79 and Hope; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The Class of 1937