CARLTON P. FULLER

1898-1984

Carl Fuller, a lifetime lover of the mountains, distinguished himself in many ways. Born in Mansfield, Massachusetts in 1898 and graduated from Harvard (Phi Beta Kappa) twenty years later, he became a successful banker in New York. He was president of Schroeder, Rockefeller and Co. from 1936 to 1941, when his fondness for New England helped motivate his return to the Boston area where he joined the then young and struggling Polaroid Co. There he served as vice-president and treasurer until his retirement in 1964.

His climbing career was a long one, though he regretted that he was never able to be away from his work long enough to join major expeditions. In 1930 he climbed the Grand Teton, the following year Hungabee and other peaks in the Canadian Rockies, and in 1932 he climbed extensively in the Alps, making ascents of both the Charmoz, Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, the Zinal Rothom, the Matterhorn and others. The latter he also climbed later by the Zmutt and Italian ridges. In the 1930s he climbed mainly in North America: Cascades, Wind Rivers, Tetons, Colorado and the Canadian Rockies. After World War II he was back in the Alps, and one summer joined Bradford Washburn near Mount McKinley to trace out Dr. Cook’s real and fancied routes there. Carl kept visiting mountain regions until well into his eighties—not a great climber but a good one. Nobody loved the mountains more.

As a member of the American Alpine Club for fifty years, he saw lots of changes and he had an active role in many of them. He became a member of the Board in 1938, was treasurer from 1956 to 1961 and was president from 1962 to 1964. More than anyone else he was responsible for bringing good rock climbers into the Club, including some of the Yosemite hard men. During his presidency, the Club’s Western membership definitely increased.

Carl contributed generously his time, energy and money to other institutions, especially the Museum of Science of Boston. There he served as president, then chairman of the board during its major expansion and was for many years a member of the executive committee. He was also a president of the Harvard Club of Boston and director of the World Affairs Council.

Death came in Concord, Massachusetts in his 86th year. A memorial service held shortly afterwards in the Memorial Church at Harvard was attended by many devoted friends. He leaves his wife Dorothy, and two married daughters, Mrs. Carlyle Swope and Mrs. Robert Baldwin.

Robert H. Bates