In Honor of Charles J. Lawson
Charles "Chuck" J. Lawson, former chairman of the Colby-Sawyer College Board of Trustees and longtime friend of the college, passed away unexpectedly on June 8, 2008. A memorial service was held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at the First Baptist Church of New London, N.H., with a private interment at the Pleasant View Cemetery in Springfield, N.H.
Mr. Lawson was as a member of the Board of Trustees from 1988 to 1998, serving as its chairman from 1992 until 1998. From 1998 until his death, he served as an honorary life trustee.
During his time on the board, Mr. Lawson was instrumental in conceiving the ideas and implementing the decisions which led Colby-Sawyer to increase its student enrollment and financial stability and become one of the strongest and most respected comprehensive baccalaureate colleges in the Northeast.
Mr. Lawson was a leader who was willing to take bold steps complemented by careful stewardship. He was directly involved in the college's first-ever comprehensive capital campaign, in the improvement of its academic programs and campus grounds and facilities, in bringing about significant growth in both endowment and enrollment, and in its successful re-accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. During his tenure as chair, Lawson Hall was constructed, and 116 acres of land for new recreation and athletic fields was purchased.
Both Mr. Lawson and his wife, Joan, who died in 2005, were passionate supporters of education, and their generosity touched every facet of the Colby-Sawyer community. They often said, "We like knowing that at Colby-Sawyer we can really make a difference." The Lawsons were members of the Legends Society, a group whose membership includes those who donate $1 million or more to the college during their lifetimes.
As a way of acknowledging Mr. Lawson's extraordinary contributions to Colby-Sawyer, he was awarded the Susan Colgate Cleveland Medal for Distinguished Service, the college's highest honor, in 1998.
President Tom Galligan said of Mr. Lawson, "Chuck's commitment, intelligence, hard work, and dedication to our college were instrumental in significantly reinforcing the foundation upon which the strength of Colby-Sawyer is built today. He was a wonderful leader, a true gentleman, and a great friend of the college who could always be counted on to offer his time, financial support, and guidance as it was needed. We will all miss him very much."
Mr. Lawson was a 1943 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, completing his degree early in order to join the U.S. Army. He served in Europe during World War II, and was discharged as an artillery captain in 1945.
After the war, Mr. Lawson had a distinguished career in manufacturing management in companies such as IBM, Hancock-Telecontrol, and National Micronetics. He retired in 1983 as a group vice president of EG&G Industries, and president of their Rotron Division. He also served on numerous corporate and non-profit organization boards, including Labsphere and New London Hospital in New Hampshire and the Kingston Hospital and Marist College in New York.
Mr. Lawson was a resident of New London, N.H., and Naples, Fla. He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Nancy Lawson of Naples, Fla., and his sister, Rev. Rosemary Peters of Halifax, Mass., as well as by his children and their spouses, Charles and Cindy Lawson of Springfield, N.H., Bruce and Jody Lawson of Plattsburgh, N.Y., and Gail and Reid Anderson of Tampa, Fla. He will also be missed by his four granddaughters, Betsy Fujinaga, Susan Woodard, Julia Lawson and Mercy Anderson, and his great-granddaughter, Lilliana Cross.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent in his memory to The New London Hospital, 273 County Road, New London, NH 03257. Condolences may be sent to C. Jud Lawson III, P.O. Box 355, Georges Mills, NH 03751.
-David Morcom
