VOLUME 13, NO. 2     NOVEMBER 2000

In Memoriam

WPI lost two dedicated alumni leaders at the close of 1999. Ted Coe '31 and Gordon Crowther '37 will be remembered for their longtime service and loyal support of their alma mater. Both were energetic volunteers on behalf of their class and the Alumni Association.

Ted was a faithful correspondent, gathering personal updates for the Class Notes section of The Wire from classmates all over the country. He drew them back to campus, too. Under his leadership as Class Reunion Chair, graduates of 1931 mustered with unprecedented spirit; in 1991 they captured the Class of 1911 Attendance Cup--a first for a 60th Reunion class. In the words of classmate Al Demont, "Ted Coe was the glue that kept '31 together." An avid fan of the WPI football team, he rarely missed a game played in northern New England. Coe's love for the natural beauty of the region led him to plant 1,000 trees at his Vermont home and to provide for the beautification of his alma mater. His gifts will endow a fund for landscape maintenance and the acquisition of new trees.

Gordon Crowther was a constant presence on campus, driving many miles from his home in Hartford, Conn., to attend meetings and alumni events. He was a Class Reunion chair and a member of the Greek Council. His special love was his fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega, which he served as vice president of its alumni association. Gordon is perhaps best remembered as a longtime chair of the Alumni Association's Nominating Committee, and for those friendly phone calls that welcomed a generation of alumni leadership into service. A half- century after graduation, he was surprised by a tap on the shoulder signaling his induction into Skull--an honor he upheld as he proudly kept pace with students in their early 20s during late-night initiation rites. Through a generous bequest, he established the Gordon F. and Ivye R. Crowther Scholarship Fund.