Brendan Gilligan '04, described by his friends as an intense, brilliant and eager individual, recently committed suicide by jumping off a bridge near his home in California.
Gilligan transferred to Dartmouth as a sophomore after spending his freshman year at Claremont-McKenna College. He played rugby at Dartmouth and concentrated his academic studies on economics and philosophy, upperclass dean Lisa Thum said.
Gilligan took a leave of absence from the College in 2002 after his sophomore summer and had reportedly returned to his home state.
"Brendan was very, very intelligent and will be sorely missed," rugby teammate Kyle Smith '04 said.
Michael Curley '04 recalled that Gilligan was a "good athlete who always brought a great attitude to the rugby field." The transfer student had joined the Dartmouth Rugby Football Club during his first fall on campus.
Friends and acquaintances particularly noted Gilligan's independence and intellectual curiosity. And although Thum characterized him as "a very good student," his undergraduate companions noted he was nonetheless passionate about discussions of more down-to-earth topics.
"I can't describe the number of times we argued about whether PAC 10 football was better than the Big 10," Curley said.
Gilligan was also a passionate skateboarder, according to his friends at the College.
Gilligan's family could not be reached for comment.
