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Three notable University figures, two former members of the Board of Trustees and the former president of the GW Alumni Association, passed away last semester.

Trustee emeritus John Manning, who graduated from the School of Engineering in 1957 and the Law School in 1961, passed away in August. He served as president of GW’s Alumni Association for four years and as an advisory board member of GW’s Engineer Alumni Association.

Allan From, who has served on GW’s Board of Trustees for five years, remembered Manning as a “wonderful man.”

“He and his wife loved the University with passion and dedication,” From said.

Prior to serving the GW community, Manning was an intellectual property consultant and former senior attorney at the National Aeronautic and Space Administration.

“He was a very active and long-time member of the board,” From said. “Even though Manning was a trustee emeritus, he still attended trustee meetings and we all knew him really well.”

From added, “He is truly what I would call a gentleman. I never heard a bad word spoken about him. We lost a good person here at the University.”

At 87 years old, trustee emeritus Harold “Hal” Baker died in November. Baker, a GW Law School alumnus, was co-founder and managing partner of Howrey Simon Baker & Murchison for 30 years and specialized in antitrust law. After he retired in 1986, he was elected into the American College of Trial Lawyers and later was chairman of the Medical Committee at GW.

Former president of the GW Alumni Association, Nicholas Lakas, who attended GW as both an undergraduate and graduate student, passed away in May. Baker, who sang in the glee club with Margaret Truman Daniel, daughter of President Harry S. Truman, was also a member of GW’s male cheerleading team. After serving in World War II, he worked in the State Department.

As president of the Alumni Association from 2002 to 2003, Lakas was awarded the GW Distinguished Alumni Service Award.