In Memoriam
Edward Jefferson, trustee and friend to the University

Edward Graham Jefferson, former chairman and chief executive officer of the DuPont Co. and University trustee emeritus, died Feb. 9. He was 84.

“Ed Jefferson was a great friend to the University of Delaware and to me personally, as well,” President David P. Roselle said. “He served on the University’s Board of Trustees for nearly 20 years, offering his wise counsel on a wide range of areas from the sciences and engineering to the arts and humanities, and for several years, he served as the board’s vice chairman.”

He noted that Dr. Jefferson’s connection to UD did not end when he retired from the board in 1997 and was awarded trustee emeritus status.

“He continued to offer his service, including playing a valuable leadership role in our Campaign for Delaware,” Roselle said. “In 2000, he and his wife, Wunnie, donated a new state-of-the-art pipe organ to the University for use in the renovated Bayard Sharp Hall. That gift was the perfect example of their generous spirit and a most fitting expression of the Jeffersons’ love of music. I know that gift will continue to bring delight to audiences on our campus for many years to come.”

In 1991, Dr. Jefferson was awarded the honorary Doctor of Science degree from UD. The citation described him as a “forward-thinking corporate leader, valuable asset to the business community, possessor of a keen and insightful mind, a hard-working and generous friend to the community, an active champion of higher education and a respected benefactor and adviser.”

Dr. Jefferson was born in London, and served in the British Royal Artillery in World War II, participating in the 1944 Normandy invasion. He graduated from King’s College, University of London, with first-class honors in chemistry, where he also earned a doctoral degree.

He joined DuPont in 1951, was named president and chief operating officer in 1980 and became chairman and CEO the following year. He retired from DuPont in 1986. Dr. Jefferson served on the University Board of Trustees from 1980-97, where his distinguished service included chairing several committees.

In addition to the pipe organ, the Jeffersons’ generosity to the University included the gift of an Andre Harvey sculpture of Nubian goats that is the focus of a small cul-de-sac adjoining the main walkway through the grove of trees near Alison Hall. Benches near the bronze sculpture complete the shady retreat. The work of art was given in memory of Peter Love Jefferson and Edward Graham Jefferson Jr.

Dr. Jefferson is survived by his wife, Naomi (Wunnie); sons Charles D. Jefferson and Andrew McKinley Jefferson, AS ’90, and his wife, Heather; and three grandsons.

“All of us associated with the University hold the Jefferson family in high regard,” Roselle said in remarks at a memorial service.

“Millard Gamble, a DuPont colleague of Ed’s, wrote to me that ‘in all pursuits, he was a courageous, strong, clearheaded high-integrity leader.’ To this I will add that Jeff was a man of grace, of good humor and remarkable intelligence.”