Jan. 21, 2003—Sewell C. Biggs, 88, University of Delaware alumnus and benefactor, died Thursday, Jan. 16.

A native of Middletown, Mr. Biggs was graduated from the University of Delaware in 1938 and then attended the University of Virginia Law School. He also studied architecture at Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge universities.

In 1937, Mr. Biggs took a trip around the world that had an enduring impact on the rest of his life. His interest in international exchange prompted him to sponsor foreign students for a one-year scholarship at the University of Delaware.

A serious collector of art, he was involved in historical preservation and art conservation. The Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover, which opened in 1998, houses his collection of Delaware and Delaware Valley fine and decorative arts.

In 1998, Mr. Biggs established the Sewell C. Biggs Chair in American Art History at UD.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 22, at Christ Church Christiana Hundred in Greenville. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Preservation Delaware, the Historical Society of Delaware, Christ Church Christiana Hundred or the Sewell C. Biggs Museum.