In Memoriam all professionalization of the program that led to the Princeton Education Center at Blairstown. Former Board Co-Chair Chris Shepherd ’98 describes Dave as “one of the greats” while Honorary Trustee Ev Pinneo ’48 remembers Dave as someone who was “deeply interested in Blairstown and who had a strong urge for Princeton University to take over the site and operate it.” He left a tremendous mark on our 110-year history.
David Rahr ’60
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e are saddened to share the news that Honorary Trustee Dave Rahr ’60 passed away on March 9, 2018. He served on the PBC Board of Trustees from 1974-1985 and was an Honorary Trustee from 19852018. As an undergraduate, he was active in a variety of extra-curricular activities including serving as Director of the Princeton Summer Camp in 1958. After graduation, Dave worked for the University for the next 22 years where he served successively as an Admission Officer, the Assistant Secretary of the University and as Secretary, then Director of the Alumni Council overseeing Princeton’s alumni relations efforts. From 1966-1970, while working for the University, he served as the Faculty Director of the Princeton Summer Camp. He was a major advocate for having the Blairstown property transferred to and operated by the University. He felt it should be used “as a multi-purpose educational and recreational resource available for use by all members of the University community and off-campus groups and programs.” He felt the camp could “no longer be adequately directed by a single, volunteer non-professional faculty director or advisor.” Dave set in motion the tremendous changes that came in the 1970s including the hiring of John Danielson as the organization’s first executive director, the raising of funds to winterize the site, and the over-
Staff from 1981: Ev Pinneo, Warren (Philo) Elmer, Mel Cote, Mel’s two sons, Dave Baker ’81, Lynda Alfred ’83, David Marcus ’83, Polly Shafer ’83, Peter Yu ’83, Lyle Myers ’81, and Meryl Kessler ’84.
Warren “Philo” Elmer ’69
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t is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of Warren “Philo” Elmer ’69. Philo served on the Board of Trustees of the Center in the 1990s and also served as the Executive Director from 2004-2005. Trustee Susan Danielson remembers him strolling around the PBC Campus chatting and checking in with staff and participants. “He had such a peaceful, engaging way about him. It was easy to forget sometimes how much wisdom and expertise he embodied, because he was so humble and so interested in the lives of others. And yet, because of his way, his values, his expertise, and wisdom, he was such a resource to all of us.” Philo was a giant in the experiential education field where for over 40 years he was engaged as a teacher, environmental educator, adventure programmer, entrepreneur, program director, executive director, and board member. He co-founded the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT), brought diverse programs together to form the Association for Experiential Education’s (AEE) mid-Atlantic Region, and sat on AEE’s Board. He was involved in both Outdoor Action and the Princeton-Blairstown Center in virtually every capacity imaginable. He received Outdoor Action’s Josh Miner ’43 Experiential Education Award in 2004. Beyond PBC and the University, he led adventure programming in more than forty states and overseas, working with well over 200,000 participants from a wide variety of organizations. Philo’s legacy lives on in the work that PBC does each day at Blairstown. Our staff directly benefit from his efforts as they pursue ACCT certification and attend AEE conferences annually.