William S. Macfadden Jr. ’51

William S. Macfadden Jr. ’51, who fell in love with Montana during a summer job at a logging camp and later returned to spend 60 years there, died in Billings on October 20, 2017, after a long illness. Bill came to Dartmouth from Minneapolis. He lettered in hockey and was a member of Sphinx and Phi Kappa Psi. After graduation he served in Korea as a U.S. Marine Corps officer. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism and extraordinary accomplishments, having flown 125 missions as a spotter. He moved to Montana as an investment banker with Piper, Jaffray and Hopwood. He soon joined D.A. Davidson and Co., where he became executive vice president. He was the first Montanan on the Chicago Board Options Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade. Bill loved his new hometown of Great Falls, where he chaired the school board, the Montana Deaconess Medical Center board and the Trigg C.M. Russell Foundation. He played hockey for three years with the Great Falls Americans. Among his greatest joys was helping to develop the Eagle Mount Program, a nonprofit organization that provides therapeutic and recreational activities for individuals with physical and developmental challenges, where he served as president. Bill, his wife, Joan-Nell, and their three daughters delighted in the outdoors, skiing, fishing, rafting and wind-surfing. Their float trips on the Smith River near their family cabin were annual highlights.


Portfolio

Book cover Original Sin with photo of hands over face
Alumni Books
New titles from Dartmouth writers (July/August 2025)
Woman posing with art sculpture
Inspiration in the Adirondacks
Artist Catherine Ross Haskins ’94 transforms an old grain mill into a vibrant arts hub.
Comeback Story

Alumni first returned to campus for official reunions in 1855.

Illustration of woman in movie theater eating popcorn
Katie Silberman ’09
A screenwriter on storytelling in Hollywood

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