William J. Brown ’55 died on July 21, 2008, in Hudson, Ohio.

An economist, he had earned a master’s degree from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from New York University. He had retired to the Laurel Lake community after serving as the dean of several business schools. He had also written textbooks for McGraw-Hill, and had worked for the American Banker’s Association and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in Washington, D.C. An avid hiker, he had explored peaks from the Eiger and the Matterhorn in Switzerland to the Canadian Rockies. He raced sailboats, traveled extensively, and was a voracious reader who loved history books. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Patricia (Hackney) Brown, and by a daughter, Laura J. Brown of Alexandria,Va.