James R. Bowditch

James R. Bowditch (August 27, 1933- February 19th, 2013) was a brilliant
man and an active member of the Adventures for Learning community as a
teacher and organizer. He read a book a day every day of his life. He was an
encyclopedia of knowledge. He had degree from Stanford and a PhD from
Harvard, specializing in American Literature and Japanese culture. He was a
Fulbright scholar in Japan. He grew up and lived in the Philippines, Mexico,
Salt Lake City, Japan, Ethiopia, Rome and has been retired from his
international teaching career in New London for the past 11 years. He spoke
Italian fluently.

He was a professor at Ripon College, Wisconsin, the
headmaster of the overseas school of Rome and the international school in
Torino for 7 years, the headmaster at the International Community School in
Ethiopia for 3 years and spent 17 years as a full professor at John Cabot
University in Rome, Italy.

One of his great loves was his summer home in
Chocorua, New Hampshire where he spent every summer of his life. Last year,
he was awarded "Citizen of the Year" by the Chocorua community for his
contributions as the President of the Chocorua Lake Association. He was
responsible for getting the Chocorua Basin and all the homes there part of
the historic national registry. Through Adventures in Learning in New
London, he taught courses on Moby Dick, Tales of Genji, comparative
religion, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman to name of few. A fond memory of
him was he gavevisitors to Rome a tour of the Roman Forum and was a walking
history book. He knew the story of every stone, archway, and ruin.

He wrote
ten books--none of them were ever published (not because they weren't good).
He just wrote them because he LOVED writing. That was his passion--reading
and writing.

He is survived by his sister Faith in Virginia, his sons Bruce
in Tucson and Mark in Princeton, his daughter Rachel in Phoenix, his former
wife and friend Chris in New London, and his four grandchilden Emily (25),
David (15), Sophie (3) and Jai (1 and 1/2). He will be dearly missed.


Memorial service in New London March 5th at 2:00 at Hilltop House. This
summer there will be a reception for him in Chocorua, New Hampshire. Details
to follow this Spring.
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