Harlow Thornton Munson ’48


Harlow Thornton Munson ’48 died on May 4 peacefully at home with his family in Charlottesville, Virginia. Immediately after graduating from Westwood High School in 1944 “Bob” entered the Army specialized training program, which took him to the universities of Maine and Vermont. At war’s end he entered Dartmouth and secured his B.A. in 1947 and M.B.A. from Tuck School in 1948. Bob was recalled to active duty by the Air Force in 1950, serving for several years as a first lieutenant in the office of special investigations. Following military service Bob joined the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served for 27 years as a senior intelligence analyst and liaison with naval intelligence and other government agencies and as colonel and commander of the CIA’s Air Force intelligence reserve unit. Bob was regularly involved in community activities and served two terms as president of the North Ridge (Virginia) Citizens Association (honored as Citizen of the Year in 2005), in a leadership position at the Beverly Hills (California) Community Methodist Church and was active at the First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville. He was actively engaged with Dartmouth and served as class secretary and president, club liaison of the Washington, D.C., club and member of the class executive committee. Bob enjoyed his retirement years with his family and friends and at the family summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. He was predeceased by his wife, Joan, and is survived by his brothers Bud ’48 and Gordon and sons Stuart, James and Christopher and his wife, Susan, and their children, Devon and Leila.