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The Dartmouth
July 19, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Aaron, devoted alum., dies from cancer at 69

A lifetime of loyalty to his family, to Dartmouth and to his law firm characterized Roger Aaron '64 Tu '65, family, friends and co-workers said in interviews with The Dartmouth. Aaron passed away in New York from cancer on Feb. 11 at the age of 69, according to The New York Times.

"He was a very committed, passionate person who did everything at full speed," Todd Aaron '96, son of Roger Aaron and his wife, Ginny, said. "He had incredible judgment and was a sounding board for everyone. He was a mentor to a lot of people and a great father."

Last year, Aaron was selected to receive the Dartmouth Alumni Award, which is presented yearly to alumni who have excelled in their career, volunteer work and involvement with the College, according to Director of Alumni Leadership Lynne Gaudet. In 1996, he was the first recipient of the Daniel Webster Distinguished Dartmouth Law Alumnus Award, given by the Dartmouth Lawyers Association, according to Gaudet.

Aaron was born on May 15, 1942 in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Entering Dartmouth with the Class of 1964, he studied economics in the 3-2 year program with the Tuck School of Business, earning an MBA from Tuck in 1965. Aaron graduated magna cum laude and as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Aaron later attended Yale Law School, graduating in 1968.

Ron Schram, the president of the Class of 1964, noted his classmate's "deep love" for the College and the joy he took in passing on the Dartmouth legacy to his sons Todd and Peter Aaron '92.

"He came up for every rugby match for four years," Todd Aaron said. "He loved Dartmouth and loved coming back."

Aaron was elected president of his Dartmouth class from 1964 to 1969 and remained involved with the College throughout his life, according to Gaudet. In addition to his active involvement in College fundraising campaigns, he served on his class executive committee, the Rockefeller Center Board of Visitors and the President's Leadership Council, in which he continued to participate until his death, Gaudet said.

As an undergraduate, Aaron was a member of the track team, Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and Casque and Gauntlet senior society. He was also on the freshman and undergraduate councils, worked for the Dartmouth College News Service, was president of the Green Key Society and served as senior editor of The Aegis yearbook, according to Gaudet.

Aaron began working as an associate for the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in the summer of 1967, according to Peter Atkins, Aaron's colleague throughout his partnership at Skadden.

"It was clear from the very beginning, frankly, that he had all the skills and then some," Atkins said, describing Aaron as an "extremely dedicated lawyer" who earned the trust and respect of clients by excelling in trades and transactions both negotiated and hostile.

Government professor Linda Fowler, the director of the Rockefeller Center during Aaron's time on the Board of Visitors, said she remembered him as a reserved but thoughtful contributor to the board's meetings.

"He had this very observant, intelligent, analytic gaze," she said. "He didn't say a lot in meetings, but you had the sense that he was processing a lot of different options."

Aaron was also active in philanthropy outside of Dartmouth, supporting Yale Law School and serving on the boards of the American Jewish Committee, the Legal Aid Society and Teach for America, according to Schram.

Atkins said Aaron's humility made him beloved among his peers.

"He had his intellectual success, his professional success and his love for his family, but to me he never lost his affection for his friends," Schram said.

Aaron is survived by his wife, Ginny, to whom he was married for 44 years, as well as his mother Phyllis, his sister Carolyn, his sons Todd and Peter and his grandchildren Nate and Will.