Martin “Hap” B. Person Jr. ’51
Martin “Hap” B. Person Jr. ’51 died on August 30, 2015, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, having lived a life that was especially notable for his love of the outdoors and passionate commitment to conservation. These interests were fostered by Hap’s close ties to Ross McKenney and Woodmen’s Weekend during his years at Dartmouth. He was president of the Outing Club and an active member of the Mountaineering Club, Bait & Bullet, the Ecological Society and the Natural History Club. He was a member of Theta Chi. During his undergraduate years Hap sailed to the Arctic with Adm. Donald MacMillan on his research schooner Bowdoin, collecting specimens for an Arctic bird study collection at Dartmouth. He also spent a summer collecting fossils in Wyoming. In later years he participated actively in the work of Wildlands Trust and the Trustees of Reservations, both in Massachusetts. He and his wife, Joan, donated 100 acres of land near Plymouth to Wildlands Trust, including parcels notable as rare species habitats and globally rare forest areas. Hap spent 50 years in the investment business in Plymouth as co-owner of Gage Wiley & Co. He and Joan also owned a home in Tucson, Arizona. Besides his wife, Hap is survived by three children, including son David ’81, and two grandchildren.
