James Watson Degenhardt ’81

James Watson Degenhardt ’81 passed away at his home in Clearwater, Florida, on July 5. He was born on April 19, 1959, to Donald and Virginia Degenhardt in Tarpon Springs, Florida, the youngest of seven. A hard worker his whole life, his father taxed Jim every time he got a B or lower, so he never did. At Dartmouth, in addition to studying history and economics, he made the greatest friends and kept the football bench warm. He went on to earn an M.S. in accounting from New York University, then enjoyed a long career as a financial advisor. He was known professionally for his reliability, trustworthiness, generosity, and compassion. He married Christina Hunt in 1993 and they had two children, James and McKenzie. Jim was proud to be from Tarpon Springs, to be an American, a Degenhardt, an Eagle Scout, a Rough Rider, a brother of Theta Delta Chi, a Dartmouth alum, a supporter of the arts, a mentor, a quiet philanthropist, and an outstanding party planner. He never met a stranger and took great pride in his family. Jim is survived by his children, siblings, nieces and nephews, and many friends. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made in Jim’s honor to the Arc Foundation of Clearwater and the Florida Orchestra of Tampa.


Portfolio

Book cover for Conflict Resilience with blue and orange colors
Alumni Books
New titles from Dartmouth writers (May/June 2025)
Woman wearing collard shirt and blazer
Origin Story
Physicist Sara Imari Walker, Adv’10, goes deep on the emergence of life.
Commencement and Reunions

A sketchbook

Illustration of baseball player swinging a bat
Ben Rice ’22
A New York Yankee on navigating professional baseball

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