William K. Blodgett ’51

William K. Blodgett ’51, a widely respected consultant in sales and marketing management, died on January 13. He had lived for many years in Lake Forest, Illinois. Bill left Dartmouth after his freshman year, later graduating from Beloit College in his home state of Wisconsin. He was a U.S. Navy officer, serving for three years as an amphibious warfare officer during the Korean War and as part of prisoner-of-war repatriation operations. He began his marketing career with Pillsbury Corp. and then with the Peavey Co. as vice president of marketing and sales. For the past 30 years he was president of the Westport Consulting Group, advising firms in the foodservice and food ingredient industries. He often spoke of the great satisfaction he derived from the independence and flexibility he enjoyed in his own consulting firm. He was active in the firm until the end of his life. That freedom allowed Bill to indulge his many interests, including tennis and golf, travel (Hawaii was a recurring destination), history, opera and classical music and raising springer spaniels. He served in 1970 as finance chairman for the first election of Bill Frenzel ’50 to the U.S. Congress. Bill is survived by his wife, Margaret (“Ellen”), four children and seven grandchildren. A daughter predeceased him. 


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