In Memoriam: Peter M. Fahey '68 Th'69 Th'70

Longtime Thayer board member and Dartmouth trustee Peter Fahey died November 26, 2022, after an extended battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He was 75.

Fahey dedicated his time and energy to the Dartmouth community for decades, serving as a member of the College's board of trustees from 1994 to 2004 and for more than 30 years on Thayer's board. In recognition of his contributions to the engineering community, the School awarded him its highest honor—the Robert Fletcher Award. From Dartmouth, he received an Alumni Award in 2007 and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 2018.

"Peter's dedication to Dartmouth is unmatched," says Dartmouth Engineering Dean Alexis Abramson. "In the time I have known him, I deeply felt his tremendous and long-lasting impact on Thayer. He leaves an incredible legacy."

Fahey earned his AB in chemistry at Dartmouth, where he was active in men's basketball and track and field and cross country and was a member of Phi Delta Alpha fraternity and Sphinx senior society. He then earned his bachelor of engineering and master's from Thayer before pursuing a career as a chemical engineer. He later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and began a decades-long career in corporate finance with Goldman Sachs. He was named a general partner in 1983 and was part of the firm's "10,000 Women" and "10,000 Small Businesses" initiatives.

When asked to provide a 25-word note to humanity for his college application, the teenage Fahey wrote: "You have but one life on this earth: Do not waste it. Utilize every minute of your life to improve yourself and help your neighbor." He followed through on this philosophy, giving back to the Dartmouth community throughout his adult life, supporting the construction of multiple facilities—including an undergraduate dorm—and creating endowments for undergraduate and graduate student scholarships and the athletics department.

He is survived by his wife, Helen; children Kimberly '92, Peter Jr. '94, Michael '97, and Katie '06; 10 grandchildren including Ashley '22 Th'23 and Emily '25; and siblings Stephen '70 Med'72, and Timothy '74.