John R. Chamberlain ’63
John R. Chamberlain ’63 died on June 4 of complications from Parkinson’s disease. John came from a Dartmouth family, including a grandparent, his father, and uncles. He grew up in Manhasset, New York, and attended Manhasset High School, where he participated in the magazine, yearbook, and orchestra. Prior to Dartmouth, John worked for three summers at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, which inspired his lifelong love of the Lodge and the mountains. At Dartmouth he majored in history, was a member of the Dartmouth Outing Club, and was a brother of Phi Kappa Psi. After Dartmouth John became the assistant registrar at Columbia University, where he stood between the students and police during the 1968 campus riots and, as a result, appeared on the cover of Newsweek. During his time at Columbia, John earned a master’s from the Teachers College and then took a year off to earn a second master’s in war studies from King’s College, London. He returned to Columbia and then went to work for the Central Intelligence Agency, which led to a 30-year career, mostly in Europe with postings in Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, and the United Kingdom. In Europe he introduced his family to sailing. Upon retirement in 1999, John returned to Hanover, joined the Dresden school board and became chairman of the Grafton County Democrats. John is survived by his wife of 56 years, two children, and a granddaughter.
