ACTA is saddened by the news of the passing of our dear friend Carl Menges on Wednesday, September 8th, 2021. He led a life of significance that will continue to inspire those who had the privilege of knowing him.
Mr. Menges received his A.B. cum laude in 1951 from Hamilton College and his M.B.A. in 1953 from the Harvard Graduate School of Business.
In 1966, he joined the investment banking firm Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), where, before its purchase in 2000 by Credit Suisse, he rose to the position of vice-chairman. Mr. Menges also served at DLJ as chairman and chief executive officer of Wood, Struthers & Winthrop Management Corp; chairman of the Financial Services Group; managing director of the Equities Division; managing director of the International Division; and a syndicate manager for the Banking and Institutional Sales Division. Before DLJ, Mr. Menges held the position of divisional marketing manager for Owens Corning Fiberglass Corporation. He also served as the director of Tiedemann Investment Group,
Mr. Menges’ extraordinary career in business and finance was rivaled by his deep commitment to civic, cultural, and educational institutions. He was a trustee and chairman of the Planning Committee of his alma mater, Hamilton College, trustee of the Boys Club of New York, and treasurer and trustee of Allen Stevenson School. He was a life trustee of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a trustee of the New-York Historical Society.
Mr. Menges was devoted to the study of history and to the understanding of the founding of the United States. In 2001, he sponsored a conference at Hamilton College on Alexander Hamilton. The Many Faces of Alexander Hamilton (NYU Press, 2006) was an outgrowth of that conference and was dedicated to Mr. Menges. He was a founding board member of the Alexander Hamilton Institute, an independent center that offers intellectual diversity and deep exploration of Western Civilization, and is featured in ACTA’s Intelligent Donor’s Guide to College Giving.
As a member of ACTA’s Board of Directors, Mr. Menges brought expertise and passion to our programs and operations. He was invariably good humored, positive, and insightful in helping our organization grow and flourish. Upon his retirement from the board in 2018, his colleagues awarded him emeritus status.
His was a life well led. We miss him profoundly but with gratitude for all he did for ACTA and for American civic life.
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