Clifton C. Olds ’57

Clifton C. Olds ’57 died on April 8. Clif came to Dartmouth from Minnetonka (Minnesota) High School. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a major in art history. Clif played drums for the Indian Chiefs when they appeared at Carnegie Hall in New York, Symphony Hall in Boston, and on Steve Allen’s Tonight Show. He earned his master’s (1960) and his doctorate (1966) at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1962 Clif began his career as assistant professor of art at San Diego State University and in 1964 was hired by the University of Michigan. He was department chair from 1973 to 1979; directed the summer program in Florence, Italy, in 1979; and was acting director of the university’s art museum in 1980-81. Clif joined Bowdoin College in 1982 as professor of art. His classes explored art in the 15th and 16th centuries, medieval and Renaissance art, and the prints of Albert Dürer. He chaired the art department from 1985 to 1988 and was acting director of the college’s art museum. Interest in Japan and China led him to create a digital archive of Zen gardens and a website. A spellbinding lecturer, he was also a pioneer at Bowdoin in seeking ways to use electronic resources for art study. Clif retired in 2003, but was persuaded to teach art from 2007 to 2008 and serve as museum director from 2008 to 2009. He was predeceased by Susan, his wife of 63 years, and is survived by daughter Elizabeth.