Richard Main Bressler ’52

Richard Main Bressler ’52 passed away on July 15. He was a resident of Seattle for many years after retiring from his business career. Dick was born in Wayne, Nebraska, on October 8, 1930, and graduated from Lake Forest (Illinois) Academy in 1948 before entering Dartmouth with the class of. He was a business administration major and a member of Zeta Psi and later served as a trustee of the College from 1984 to 1989. He received an honorary trustee degree in 1984. Immediately after graduation Dick started a long and successful business career, first at General Electric until 1968. He then joined American Airlines as vice president and treasurer, serving until 1973. In that year he moved to the Atlantic Richfield Corp. in Los Angeles as vice president of finance and later as president of Arco Chemical Co. In 1980 Dick made his final move, joining Burlington Northern Railroad as president and CEO, retiring in 1988. Dartmouth recognized Dick’s contribution to academics by naming the Burlington Northern Foundation Professor in Asian Studies in his honor. Dick is survived by his wife, Cheryl, and children Alan and Kristin. His older brother, John III ’45, predeceased him in 2015.