Draegert, David Allison (06/19/1940 – 04/14/1999).

Dave Draegert lived all his early years in What Cheer, Iowa. He was the son of Carl G. and Lois V. Draegert, who often visited Grinnell’s campus where Lois had started her college education. His sister, Cindy (Cynthia Anne (Draegert) Simpson) also graduated from Grinnell (1956) and helped Dave see Grinnell as the place to be. Dave entered as a freshman in 1957 and lived in North Younker Hall, where he served as social chair, house council representative and, in 1960-61, as house president and member of the Council of House Presidents. He received his B.A. degree in Physics and was a member of Sigma Xi and Pi Mu Epsilon, National Math Honor Societies. He published numerous articles in the Journal of the Optical Society of America, The IEEE Journal and other scientific publications.

Dave obtained advanced degrees in Physics from Kansas State University (M.S., 1964 and Ph.D., 1967) where he held graduate and post-doctoral fellowships. Dave worked in research for Bell Telephone Laboratories where he obtained several patents. He then worked at AIRCO,Inc. /BOC and became a registered Patent Agent and Patent Attorney, earning his LLB from Seton Hall University in 1977. He was Patent Counsel for BOC until his death in 1999. Dave was instrumental in the establishment of the Inventors Hall of Fame, now located at the U.S. Patent Office in Washington, D.C. He also was on the Board of the New Jersey Intellectual Property and Patent Law Association and served as President of that organization for two years. Dave also served on numerous civic and church committees and worked tirelessly to contribute in positive ways where ever he was.

On June 4, 1961, the date of their Grinnell commencement, Dave married Margaret Elizabeth (Peggy) Ware in Herrick Chapel, a good place to start a very special life together. They have two daughters who live in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

By Peggy Ware Draegert