Hinkle, West E. (8/16/1987)

From our 30th reunion memorial service
West Hinkle received his bachelors and masters in engineering at Dartmouth. He played varsity football and pledged Alpha Phi Alpha and until his death in 1987 he was a radar systems engineer at RCA, in Willingsboro, New Jersey.

From the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine

WEST EVERETT HINKLE died August 16, 1987, as a result of a blow to the head while being robbed in New York City. At the time he was living in Willingsboro, N.J., and was working at RCA in nearby Moorestown. West was a native of Los Angeles and graduated from Bishop Alemany High School where he was twice voted the most valuable defensive lineman on the football team and still holds the school shotput record.

At Dartmouth, West majored in engineering and received his B.S. in 1979 and his M.S. at the Thayer School in 1980. He also played varsity football, captained the karate team while receiving his Fifth Degree Black Belt, and pledged Alpha Phi Alpha. West did further studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Atlanta University School of Business.

Until his untimely death, West was employed as a radar systems engineer at RCA, where he founded the RCA chapter for the Society of Black and Hispanic Engineers. He loved children and actively encouraged black and Hispanic children to choose engineering as a career. West often made speeches and presentations to groups of young people throughout high schools in N.J.

West is survived by his wife, Blanche Blackwell Hinkle, and by his mother, sister, and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Our class extends its sympathies to the Hinkle family and feels badly that our classmate, West, died so young.

In memory of West Hinkle, the Class of 1979 has purchased the following book for Baker Library:

Levin, M., Silent Passage