John Gorham Palfrey Jr. (March 12, 1919 – October 28, 1979) was an American academic, administrator, and government official. He was a professor at law at Columbia University and served as dean of Columbia College from 1958 to 1962.[1] He also served on the United States Atomic Energy Commission from 1962 to 1966.[2]
John Gorham Palfrey | |
|---|---|
 Palfrey in 1962. | |
| Dean of Columbia College | |
| In office 1958–1962 | |
| Preceded by | Lawrence H. Chamberlain |
| Succeeded by | David B. Truman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 12, 1919 Beacon Hill, Boston, U.S. |
| Died | October 28, 1979 (aged 60) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Spouse | Clochette Roosevelt |
| Relations | John G. Palfrey (great-grandfather) Francis Winthrop Palfrey (grandfather) Kermit Roosevelt (father-in-law) Sarah Palfrey Cooke (sister) Mianne Palfrey (sister) Polly Palfrey Woodrow (sister) Judith Palfrey (daughter-in-law) John Palfrey (grandson) Quentin Palfrey (grandson) |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (BA, JD) |
Early life
editPalfrey was born in Beacon Hill, Boston on March 12, 1919.[2] He was a son of Methyl Gertrude (née Oakes) Palfrey and John Gorham Palfrey Sr., a prominent Boston attorney.[3] John and his sisters were avid tennis players, with all five of his sisters winning a national junior title, including Sarah Palfrey Cooke, who won two singles, nine women's doubles, and four mixed doubles titles at the U.S. National Championships.[2]
He was a great-grandson of Massachusetts Congressman John G. Palfrey and the first dean of Harvard Divinity School. His grandfather, Francis Winthrop Palfrey, was an American historian and Civil War officer. His family is descended from William Palfrey, who served in the American Revolutionary War as aide-de-camp to George Washington.
Palfrey graduated from Milton Academy and Harvard College in 1940, where he was classmates with John F. Kennedy.[2] He also studied at Harvard Law School before his studies were interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the Army Signal Corps and with the military intelligence at The Pentagon, retiring as a first lieutenant.
Career
editAfter law school, he served on the staff of the Atomic Energy Commission's general counsel for three years and spent two years at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.[2]
Palfrey joined the Columbia faculty in 1952, becoming a full professor in 1956. He was appointed dean of the undergraduate liberal arts college before being appointed by President Kennedy to serve on the Atomic Energy Commission,[4] and remained in that position under President Lyndon B. Johnson.[2]
After concluding his term at the commission, Palfrey served as a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Brookings Institution.[2]
Personal life
editIn December 1942, Palfrey married Belle Wyatt "Clochette" Roosevelt (1919–1985) in Fairfax, Virginia.[5] She was a granddaughter of President Theodore Roosevelt and a daughter of Kermit Roosevelt.[6] Their wedding was attended by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt.[7] Together, they were the parents of:
- John "Sean" Gorham Palfrey III, who married Judith Swann Sullivan,[8] both whom were professors of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School, respectively.
- Antonia "Tonia" Ford Palfrey (1954–2022),[9] a poet, photographer and painter who was named for her ancestress Antonia Ford. She was engaged to photographer Richard Allan Perrini in 1982.[10]
He died on October 28, 1979, at age 60 in Boston.[2]
Descendants
editHis grandson, John Palfrey, served on the faculty of Harvard Law School and was the head of school of Phillips Academy. He is currently the President of the MacArthur Foundation.[11] Another grandson, Quentin Palfrey, currently serves as Deputy General Counsel at the United States Department of Commerce and was a Democratic candidate in the 2018 Massachusetts election for lieutenant governor.
References
edit- ^ "Deans of the College". Columbia College. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Johnston, Laurie (1979-10-29). "JOHN PALFREY DIES; EX‐COLUMBIA DEAN". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
- ^ TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (27 July 1945). "JOHN G. PALFREY, BOSTON ATTORNEY; Ex-Member of the Governor's Legal Advisory Group Dies-- Father of Tennis Star". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "PRESIDENT NAMES DEAN AT COLUMBIA TO POST ON A.E.C.; John G. Palfrey Is Second Lawyer Picked for Agency in Resolution of Dispute DEAN AT COLUMBIA CHOSEN FOR A.E.C." The New York Times. 6 August 1962. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Times, Special to The New York (27 December 1942). "BELLE ROOSEVELT BRIDE IN VIR6INIA; Kermit Roosevelt's Daughter i Wed to John G. Palfrey Jr.m President and Wife Attend NUPTIALS HELD IN FAIRFAX Bride's Gown That Worn by Mother at Marriage in 1914 in U. S. Embassy, Madrid". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Times, Special to The New York (10 September 1967). "Miss Sullivan Wed to J.G. Palfrey Jr.; She Is the Bride of Great-Grandson of Theodore Roosevelt". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "BELLE ROOSEVELT TO BE BRIDE DEC. 26; The Late Theodore Roosevelt's Granddaughter Will Be Wed to John G. Palfrey Jr". The New York Times. 8 December 1942. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Times, Boris & MiltonSpecial to The New York (28 May 1967). "Judith Sullivan Is Betrothed To John Gorham Palfrey Jr". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Antonia Ford Palfrey". Worcester Telegram & Gazette. January 20, 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Antonia Palfrey Plans Nuptials". The New York Times. 14 March 1982. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "WEDDINGS; Catherine Carter and John Palfrey Jr". The New York Times. 1998-09-20. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-05-05.