Charles Sterling Lenth ’68

Charles Sterling Lenth ’68 of Boulder, Colorado, passed away peacefully from natural causes on December 12, 2020, surrounded by family. Charlie arrived at Dartmouth from Minneapolis, having played high school football and hockey. He enjoyed crew at Dartmouth and rowed as heavyweight for four years. Charlie pledged Alpha Chi Alpha and served as president his senior year. A government major, Charlie initially planned a career in foreign service and joined the Peace Corps immediately upon graduation. He served in India, the country where his father was born and his grandfather was a missionary. Charlie fell in love with the country and helping the poor in India became his lifelong commitment. Upon returning from India, Charlie worked as a carpenter for two years before pursuing a career in education policy and earning his Ph.D. from University of Chicago. He joined the staff of the Illinois Board of Higher Education and began a distinguished career in education policy. His work focused on efficient allocation of educational resources and educational assessment, both nationally and internationally. This took him to the Western States Commission on Higher Education, the Education Commission of States, the Minnesota Private College Council, and State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. Charlie is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Susan; children Ben and Annie; and five grandchildren. Classmate Greg Herschell ’68 remembers Charlie as “the best of Dartmouth” and “my roommate, my brother, and my best friend for more than 50 years.”