WORCESTER, Mass. - John C. Metzger Jr. ’46, an emeritus member of the WPI Board of Trustees, died Dec. 29 in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 82. A member of the WPI board since 1981, he was elected to emeritus status in 1989.
Metzger and his wife, Jean, recently established the John C. Metzger Jr. Professorship in Chemistry in WPI’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
“John Metzger did so much to help this university grow and prosper,” said WPI President Dennis D. Berkey. “We are deeply grateful for his service and his friendship. While the WPI community will miss him profoundly, the legacy he built, through his professorship and countless other contributions, will endure for generations to come.”
In addition to his service as a trustee, Metzger was active in the WPI Alumni Association, serving as chair of his 40th Reunion, chair of the Corporate Contacts Program with DuPont Co., and a member of the Firesafety Advisory Board and the Alumni Admissions Program. He also belonged to the Presidential Founders, the university’s most generous giving society. In 1981 the association honored him with the Robert H. Goddard Alumni Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement.
Metzger entered WPI in the fall of 1942 and completed his WPI studies as part of the Navy’s wartime V-12 program. He was commissioned after graduation and served in the Navy during World War II. He spent his entire professional career at DuPont, retiring in 1986 as group vice president for photo systems and electronic products.
He is survived by his wife, three daughters, and two grandsons. He was predeceased by his first wife, Jane Metzger.
Read the complete obituary for John Metzger.
