January 12, 2007
To the Williams Community,
Williams has lost another of its true sons with last night's passing by apparent heart attack of J. Hodge Markgraf, the Ebenezer Fitch Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus.
As an alumnus, teacher, scientist, mentor, and administrator, Hodge was involved with much of the College's history since he arrived here as a freshman in 1948.
As a student he played lacrosse, was tapped for Gargoyle, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He served as secretary of his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, and later, as a young faculty member, as secretary to the Angevine Committee, which recommended the phasing out of fraternities.
As mentor to generations of students in his chemistry lab, which he kept active to the end, he helped lead by example the college's development as an incubator of young scientists.
He served as Department Chair, Provost, and College Marshall. As Vice President for Alumni Relations and Development he oversaw the College's Bicentennial Celebrations and led The Third Century Campaign, which raised the most money ever by a liberal arts college and helped establish the ground from which so much of the College's subsequent excellence has grown.
Williams honored him with the Rogerson Cup, the highest honor for alumni service, and a Bicentennial Medal for distinguished achievement.
No one loved the College more than Hodge and no one served it with more passion and spunk. He was one of the most upbeat people I have ever known.
Though still physically and intellectually vigorous, Hodge never seemed completely the same after the death last August of his beloved wife, Nancy. That he left us so soon after should perhaps be not so surprising; it is, in fact, in its own way touching.
Our thoughts and prayers go to his daughters and to his wider family. We will let you know any information about a service as soon as it is set.
Best regards,
M. Schapiro
A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 17 at 11:00 a.m. in Thompson Memorial Chapel, with a reception immediately following at the Faculty House.
Gifts in memory of Hodge may be made to the Hodge Markgraf 1952 Memorial Fund. Checks should be made out to Williams College and mailed to the attention of Diana Elvin, Director of Donor Relations, 75 Park Street, Williamstown, MA 01267.
The College intends to use the Markgraf Memorial Fund to purchase or commission a work of art to be installed in the Science Center. This was long a dream of Hodge's and, before his death, he had made several personal contributions to a fund directed toward this purpose. Hodge's daughters are enthusiastically behind this project.
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