Peter Ford McSpadden ’52

Peter Ford McSpadden ’52 passed away on March 13 at his home in Stamford, Connecticut. Peter grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, and graduated from Montclair High School. At Dartmouth he majored in government, was a member of Sigma Nu, served on the Undergraduate Council and the Interdormitory Council and played lacrosse. As a devoted alumnus he was very active, serving on a number of committees through many years and as class president from 2002 to 2007. He enlisted in the Navy after College and became a naval air intelligence officer. Upon discharge he moved to New York, where he met and married Barbara. He spent the bulk of his career at the New York advertising agency, Dancer Fitzgerald Sample (DFS), rising to president and chief operating officer. When DFS and Saatchi and Saatchi Compton merged, he assumed the presidency of the combined company. Peter was a past director of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the American Advertising Federation and the National Advertising Review Board. Peter and Barbara resided in Riverside, Connecticut, for 55 years before moving to a retirement community in Stamford. He also was active on the Connecticut political scene, serving as campaign manager for Sen. Lowell Weicker’s successful bids for the U.S. Congress. Barbara predeceased him in 2015. He leaves behind sons Douglas (and wife Carmen), David (and wife Christine) and Peter, four grandchildren and sister Linda, whose late husband was Edward Nelson ’57.