Hadley S. DePuy

Hadley S. DePuy, associate dean of the College from 1965 to 1972, died on Jan. 22, 2013, at the age of 81. Familiarly and fondly known as “Stretch,” he made a lasting impression on those who came within his orbit on the Hill, and especially Hamilton’s students. At the time of his departure to become the second president of Fulton-Montgomery Community College, Dean Winton Tolles saluted him as “a tower of strength,” adding that “nobody really knows the many things he has done for this College and its students.”

Hadley Sheldon DePuy was born on Sept. 7, 1931, in Ellenville, NY. A graduate of St. Lawrence Univeristy, where he was president of the student body, he earned an M.A. in political science from Colgate University and a doctorate in education from Cornell University. He had served as assistant dean of students at Cornell and was dean of students at Franklin & Marshall College before coming to Hamilton as the successor to Associate Dean Sidney Wertimer.

As administrator and supervisor of student affairs, Stretch DePuy brought vigor and insightfulness to the job. He worked closely with students, serving as an advisor and mentor, and encouraging their positive participation in campus affairs as well as service to the community beyond. After his departure, the Hadley S. DePuy Campus Service Award, still given annually at Hamilton, was established in his honor.

After five successful years at Fulton-Montgomery, Stretch DePuy served as a senior administrator in the New York State Department of Education and later as president of the State University of New York at Cobleskill. In retirement, he was active in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church as a member of its committee on administration and as ruling elder of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Bethesda, MD. He was residing in nearby Frederick when he died. Among survivors is his wife, Marianne.
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