Obituary Russell C. Dilks

    Russell C. Dilks died January 22, 2008 in the King James Care Center in Chatham Township, New Jersey.  Born and raised in the Philadelphia area where he attended Abington High School, at Dartmouth he majored in English and was graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.  He also was a star member of the debate team and assistant managing editor of the Daily Dartmouth.

    After graduating Dartmouth he went to Yale Law School and then clerked for a federal appeals court judge before going to work for a prominent Philadelphia law frm.  He also found time to teach legal writing at Pennsylvania University Law School.  In 1970 he went to work for the Western Electic Company where he handled many legal problems including the breakup of the Bell System.  He retired in 1986, but managed to fill his life with his work with the Boy Scouts of America.  He was always interested in scouting rising to Eagle Scout, and participated in the training of young leaders at the highest level, receiving all of the Boy Scouts' highest awards.  He also served Dartmouth and the Class of 1951 in many capacities, his service recognized by his receiving the Spirit of '51 Award in 1984.  The citation for that award mentioned his 15 years as class secretary "... and his travels throughout all parts of the nation, contacting classmates individually or in small groups wherever he went, and then reporting these events to the class, which did a great deal to build the spirit of '51 and bind the class more closely together."