John Francis Twist Jr. ’41

John Francis Twist Jr. ’41 died at home in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 28, 2010. John was raised on a huge family-owned cotton plantation near Twist, Arkansas, and was an eminent farmer and agriculturalist for his entire life. At Dartmouth he was a passionate student of English literature, poetry and music. He was a member of Tabard/Sigma Chi and Dragon. In WW II he spent 37 months in the South Pacific with the Air Corps 90th Heavy Bombing Group and was discharged as major in 1945. He married Pat Thompson, an Air Corps flying nurse. The couple was married for 46 years. After the war he resumed farming and became widely known for his soil conservation and irrigation innovations. He was a People to People International ambassador and traveled to Russia with other farming experts. John was an Arkansas delegate to the Constitutional Convention between 1979 and 1980. He served on the executive committee of the board of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital of Memphis. He was predeceased by son John ’68. He is survived by his wife of 19 years, Jane, daughters Jenny and Nancy, four stepchildren, 11 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.