Quick Facts
Biography
Merle Thorpe, Jr. (1918 – February 13, 1994) was an American lawyer and philanthropist.
Early life, education and military service
Thorpe was born in Washington, D.C., and attended the Sidwell Friends School, the St. Albans School – both in Washington – and the Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. He then earned bachelor's and law degrees from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Thorpe served as a U.S. Navy intelligence officer during World War II.
Career and philanthropy
After the war, Thorpe joined the Washington, D.C., law firm Hogan & Hartson, where he was a partner from 1956 to 1982.
Thorpe led a number of early shareholder's rights battles.
Thorpe took a trip to the Middle East with U.S. Senator William Fulbright in 1975 and afterwards Fulbright became a mentor to Thorpe about the region.
Thorpe's interest in the region led him to start the Foundation for Middle East Peace in 1979.
Death
He died of cancer in 1994.