Stanton Welsh, known to his friends and colleagues as "Pete," died peacefully on January 26, 2015 at the Claremont Manor where he resided for the past 15 years. He was 89. He was born in Binghamton, New York on August 23, 1925 and moved west at an early age with his parents to Pasadena. Pete grew up surrounded by orange groves at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains and graduated from South Pasadena High School in 1943.

Pete served in the Army Air Corps during World War II as a B-29 flight engineer. After discharge from the army, he took advantage of his GI benefits and enrolled at the fledgling Claremont Men's College where he met and later married the girl of his dreams, Pomona College coed Nancy Holman. He had an outstanding athletic career playing for Pomona-Claremont teams. In 1989, he was elected as the first inductee in the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Athletic Hall of Fame. He is holder of CMC's longest-lasting record, the long jump record he achieved and held for an amazing 57 years from 1949-2006. He graduated cum laude as a distinguished military student with the Class of 1950, the first class to graduate from CMC. He began his career at CMC as assistant to the president. He co-founded the Pacesetters, a dedicated group of early graduates of CMC, and became a driving force in the development of the college. His long and storied career as vice president of Claremont McKenna College spanned 36 years. During his tenure, Pete forged relationships, nurtured development and promoted his beloved CMC. He served as a member of the Alumni Association and the McKenna College Board of Trustees. In 1991, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree and upon his retirement retained the title of Vice President Emeritus. 

Pete was the loving patriarch of a large family with deep roots in Claremont. He divided as much of his free time as possible between the family cabin in Florence, Oregon and in Hawaii. He was a lifelong student of the American West and reader of US history. On a lighter note, he loved Louis L'Amour novels and John Wayne movies.

Pete's 63-year marriage to Nancy, who died four years ago, leaves a legacy of six sons, Stanton III, Fredrick, Stephen, Henry, Stuart, and Douglas. He is also survived by nine grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and his young brother, John Welsh (SPHS '46).

Claremont Courier, February 6, 2015