Edward P. Eichler ’51

Edward P. Eichler ’51, whose 40-year business career and numerous civic activities were devoted to real estate development and finance, died on March 27, 2014, at his home in Tiburon, California. He is survived by his wife, Ava, three children, one stepchild and four grandchildren. At Dartmouth Ed (later known as “Ned”) majored in economics and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and the golf team. Ned’s real estate career included senior positions with several firms, including the presidency of Levitt Corp., and of his own company, Eichler Corp., which pioneered an innovative approach to lending money to existing apartment complexes. He served as chairman of the California Governor’s Commission on Housing and director of the New Communities project at the University of California, Berkeley. A strong interest in the academic world led to visiting professorships at UC Berkeley, San Francisco State College and Columbia University. He completed all the coursework for a Ph.D. in history at UC Berkeley. He was the author of four books, including The Merchant Builders and The Community Builders.