WILLIAM G. BRYDEN, who operated the Bryden Insurance Agency in Sandwich, Mass., died Feb. 23, 2007, at age 93. He was a member of Psi Upsilon. Predeceased by his wife, Marilyn Ormsbee Bryden, he is survived by five children, 19 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren.
ALBERT M. BELL JR., an advertising and sales administrator who was associated with Uniroyal for 30 years and then founded his own typesetting business, died Nov. 11, 2003. He was 89. A member of Phi Sigma Kappa, he was the nephew of Harry W. Bell of the class of 1912, a cousin of the late Warren F. Bell ’43, and the grandnephew of Clarence F. Corner of the class of 1903. Survivors include his wife, Dorothy S. Bell, four daughters, and two brothers, including Charles F. Bell ’40.
RAIMON L. BEARD, who was an entomologist for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station for almost 40 years, died May 27, 2003. He was 91. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Sigma Xi, he received his degree with honors and with high distinction in biology before receiving a doctoral degree from Yale University. Author of numerous scientific papers on a wide range of his entomological research, he also undertook problems in the field of applied entomology. He was one of the pioneering researchers concerned with resistance to pesticides. He served on the WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Insecticides from 1962-1972. Predeceased by his wife, Frances Beard, two daughters and four granddaughters survive.
ROBERT M. BALL, the commissioner of Social Security in the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations, one of the chief architects of Medicare, and an influential opponent of privatizing Social Security, died Jan. 30, 2008, at age 93. He received his degree with high distinction in English and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, he was the brother of the late Theodore H. Ball of the class of 1926. After receiving a master’s degree in economics at Wesleyan, he joined the Social Security Administration soon after the Social Security Act became law and rose through the ranks to become commissioner in 1962. An effective administrator who could effect bi-partisan compromises, he had a vast knowledge of the Social Security system and an ability to explain complex topics clearly. He was a policymaker who advised other policymakers, and he wrote books, commentaries, and position papers. Even after his retirement in 1973 he continued to advocate for Social Security, calling Social Security “the nation’s most effective anti-poverty program.” In 1996, reportedly working from his living room, he headed off proposals to privatize Social Security. As recently as 2004 he worked to defeat the proposed plan to allow younger workers to invest part of their payroll taxes in private accounts. The author of six books, his most recent was Insuring the Essentials: Bob Ball on Social Security (2000). Survivors include his wife of 71 years, Doris McCord Ball; two children, including Robert Jonathan Ball ’65; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
WILLIAM L. TURNER, a retired associate professor at George Washington University, died Mar. 12, 2011, nine days short of his 100th birthday. A member of Sigma Chi, he received his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. His wife, Marie-Louise Ralph Turner, predeceased him, and he is survived by three sons and four grandchildren.
CARLTON G. SKINNER died June 22, 2004. He was 91. He received his bachelor’s degree from UCLA and was a member of Delta Upsilon. During World War II he proposed a fully integrated ship to provide African-Americans with experience at sea. In 1943, he assumed command of USS Sea Cloud, formerly a lavish yacht. Of the 173 men on board, 54 were African-American. After World War II President Truman appointed Carlton to serve as the last Navy governor of Guam, and then appointed him the first civilian governor of Guam. He is survived by his wife, Solange (Petit).
FRANK D. ROBINS, 92, a teacher, died Mar. 29, 2004. He was a member of Sigma Chi and received a master’s degree from Boston University. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Air Force. He taught at New London (Conn.) High School for many years and was the director of dramatics. The grandson of Joseph E. Robins of the class of 1868 and the nephew of George D. Robins of the class of 1898, he was predeceased by his wife, Marjorie H. Robins, Among those who survive are his son, Douglas H. Robins ’66; a nephew, J. Knox Robins ’52; and a cousin, Douglas M. Robins ’37.
CHARLES V. PERRILL, M.D., a physician and surgeon, and a medical missionary in India for many years, died June 6, 2007. He was 94. A member of Sigma Chi, he received his degree with honors and was elected to Sigma Xi. He received a master’s degree and a medical degree from Northwestern University. Born in India to Methodist missionary parents, he returned there after medical school with his fellow physician and wife, Wilma Conger Perrill. As a physician, administrator, fund-raiser, and engineer, he built several hospitals while teaching and practicing medicine, and was widely respected for his many contributions. In 1971 he returned to the US, worked as an emergency physician, and continued to write and teach. His wife, Dr. Wilma Conger Perrill, died in 1981, and he later married Bertha Corfield Perrill, who also predeceased him. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law.
ROBERT C. NEWTON, a physical chemist, died Sept. 5, 2007. He was 95. A member of Chi Psi, he received his degree with honors and was elected to both Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. He received a master’s degree from Wesleyan and a Ph.D. from Princeton University, where he did pioneering research in the field of spectroscopy. He then was on the faculty at the University of Vermont and later joined Armstrong World Industries, from which he retired as head of analytical research and development. He is survived by his wife, Mary Elizabeth Newton, three children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
WALTER J. MUELLER, who retired as a senior foreign service officer with the US Department of State, and a former dean of the College of Arts and Letters at the University of Alaska, died Nov. 2, 2006. He was 92. The son of Carl S. Mueller of the class of 1903, he received his degree with distinction in German. In 1935 he received a master’s degree from Wesleyan and later a PhD from Cornell, where he taught until joining the US Army during World War II. After the war he joined the US State Department and served in various posts. He retired in 1970 and became a faculty member at the University of Alaska, where he launched innovative programs in Peace Studies and the preservation of Native Alaskan cultures. Predeceased by his wife, Eleanor Maack Mueller, survivors include two children and four grandchildren.
