Donald N. Klages ’58

Donald N. Klages ’58 died of pneumonia on December 19, 2024. Don came to Dartmouth from Manhasset on Long Island, New York. He majored in economics, was a member of Beta Theta Pi and Dragon, and served as class secretary senior year and on Green Key and the Undergraduate Council. He was a baseball outfielder and played football all four years, including senior year, when Dartmouth football enjoyed its most successful season in 19 years. Don ran 54 yards to score against Harvard, thereby solidifying a 26-0 game for the Green, and set up a 20-19 win over Cornell with a 37-yard run. After Dartmouth Don reported he “received an M.B.A. from Stanford University, worked for J.C. Penney for two years before purchasing my own men’s clothing store. We are the ‘Campions’ for Stanford and have built our store into a multi-million-dollar operation.” Among the loyal customers of Wideman’s in Palo Alto, California, were Silicon Valley tycoons, Bay Area athletes, and classmates Jack Stromberg ‘58 and Rob Goodell ’58. In 1989 Don was president of the Menswear Retailers of America. He eventually sold the business and retired. Larry Hampton ’58, a close friend since junior high school, recalls that Don and his wife “traveled widely, often visiting Helga and me in Europe. Don was a warm and generous host, loving the finer things in life, and was a first-class guy.” Don is survived by his wife, Deanne; two children; and two grandchildren.