Dear Members of the Colgate Community,
I write with the sad news that David Sturges, Professor of Economics passed away on Friday, January 24, 2025 at his home in Hamilton, N.Y.
Professor Sturges was born in 1932 and grew up in Albion, N.Y. He earned his BA in mathematics from the University of Rochester in 1954. He proudly served in the United States Navy Reserve from 1954 to 1958 before continuing his academic journey, obtaining an MBA with honors in finance from the Wharton Graduate School in 1959. His passion for economics led him to Yale University, where he earned an MA and MPhil in 1993, followed by a PhD in Economics in 1994.
Professor Takao Kato, W.S. Schupf Professor in Far Eastern Studies and Professor of Economics underscores the surprising nature of such a career shift:
After spending 30 years in executive positions at IBM (including two years at IBM Japan), in his late 50s, Dave made a bold career change and enrolled in Yale's graduate school of economics (one of the most rigorous and competitive PhD programs in the world). He completed his PhD in four years (normally it takes five or more years) and joined our department as a tenure-track assistant professor. Dave’s remarkably successful late-career switch inspired me. In light of the rapidly aging population of countries around the world, I expect such late-career switches to become increasingly more common. Dave's remarkable life will continue to inspire many.
Professor Sturges’ professional trajectory was bookended by teaching. He began his teaching career as a Graduate Instructor in Corporate Finance at the Wharton School in 1959 and later served as an Instructor at Spring Garden Institute from 1958 to 1959. During his doctoral studies, he was a Teaching Fellow in Introductory Macroeconomics at Yale in 1992 and a part-time Instructor in Introductory Microeconomics in 1993. He then held a Visiting Assistant Professor position at Middlebury College from 1994 to 1995 before joining º£½ÇÉçÇø as an Assistant Professor of Economics on July 1, 1995. After resigning from his tenure-stream position at the end of the 2000–01 academic year, he continued his passion for teaching as a part-time lecturer at Colgate, where he enjoyed teaching Introduction to Economics to undergraduate students until the fall of 2011. Across these many years and many settings, he had a positive impact on countless students.
As friend and colleague Bob Turner, Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, emeritus, recalls:
After a successful career in finance, Dave chose to pursue a second career by getting a PhD in economics. He came to Colgate to teach financial economics as well as other courses, and his students greatly appreciated his combination of practical experience, pleasant personality, and intellectual vitality; he stayed intellectually active after retiring from Colgate. He was a good colleague and friend: both generous and inquisitive.
In addition to his academic contributions, Dave had a distinguished career in the corporate world. He spent 30 years at ruM Corporation (1959–1989), serving in key leadership roles, including Treasurer of the Asia/Pacific Group in Tokyo, Japan (1987–1989), Vice President of Operations at ruM Credit Corporation (1982–1987), and Director of Intercompany Relations at IBM Corporation (1979–1982). His strategic insights and financial expertise left a lasting impact in the business sector.
Professor Sturges will be remembered for his dedication to education, his commitment to the field of economics, and his unwavering professionalism in both academia and business. He will be deeply missed by colleagues, students, friends, and, particularly, family. Dave is survived by his wife, Jana, his daughter Nora Sturges (Geoff Becker) of Baltimore, Maryland; David Vinopal of Boise, Idaho, and Jan Vinopal (Becky), also of Boise, Idaho; Edward (Mette Egstrand) Vinopal of Horsholm, Denmark; his grandchildren Bruno Becker, Janny Vinopal, Mischa Vinopal, Calvin Vinopal, and Nola Patrick; and his two nieces Linda Moore and Carol Petronio.
The funeral service will be held at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church in Hamilton, N.Y. at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mid-York Senior Homes at Madison Lane, the Hamilton Food Cupboard, and the St. Thomas' Discretionary Fund.
May Dave’s memory be a blessing.
Lesleigh
Lesleigh Cushing
Provost and Dean of the Faculty