Selwyn I. Atherton ’51

Selwyn I. Atherton ’51 died on May 5 at his home in Plymouth, Massachusetts. A prominent banker for many years, he was also an accomplished athlete, wine enthusiast and proud grandfather. He is survived by his wife Marge, four children and seven grandchildren, to whom he was known as “Grumpy.” Sel grew up in Hanover and followed his grandfather, father and two uncles to Dartmouth. He was a member of the ski team and Phi Kappa Psi. In mid-career he attended Harvard’s advanced management program. Sel’s athletic interests, in addition to skiing, included playing tennis and golf. He scored three holes-in-one. He and Marge regularly competed in mixed doubles tennis and platform tennis tournaments. He and a partner won the national seniors doubles championship in platform tennis in 1981. More recently, he was a fierce competitor in bridge and gin rummy. Other active pursuits included vegetable gardening, reading and bird-watching. Regular visits to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida were highlights for Sel, as was the frequent presence of two sandhill cranes at his bird feeder in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, his and Marge’s winter home. Sel’s banking career included senior positions in New York City; Auburn, Maine; and Richmond, Virginia, where he became chairman and CEO of First Agricultural Bank. First Agricultural was acquired by Multibank Financial Corp. of Dedham, Massachusetts, where Sel became president of the parent corporation. He also served as chairman of South Shore Bank in Quincy, Massachusetts, retiring in 1993.