Merle L. Thorpe Jr. ’51

Merle L. Thorpe Jr. ’51, whose Thayer School education led him to several successful entrepreneurial ventures, died on January 13 at his home in Hanover. Merle credited his Dartmouth education with helping break his family’s poverty cycle engendered by the Great Depression. He majored in physics as an undergraduate, then received his master’s in engineering science and mechanical engineering. His thesis was in the field of thermodynamics. After short stints at Union Carbide’s Linde Laboratory and as an assistant professor and assistant dean at Thayer he co-founded his first business, Thermal Dynamics. Five other successful ventures followed, in such high-tech fields as arc metal cutting, high temperature chemical and ceramic production, thermal spraying of metals and ceramics, and high temperature research tools. In recognition of his technical and entrepreneurial accomplishments Merle received numerous awards, including the Paul Harris Award from Rotary International, the William Hunt Eisenman Award and the New Hampshire Council’s High Tech Entrepreneur Award. He authored nearly 50 technical papers and articles and secured more than 10 patents. Merle served Dartmouth as a member of the Alumni Council and as a regional club president. He was treasurer of his class in the 1970s. He was also active in the community as school board chair and church youth group leader. He and his wife, Inge, were competitive golfers, skiers and bridge players. Besides his wife, he is survived by three children and six grandchildren. His late brother, Alton, was a member of Dartmouth’s class of 1940.