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Conrad W. Hirsh ’63

Conrad Hirsh ’63, October 7, 1999, in Nairobi, Kenya, after a long battle with brain cancer. He had lived most of the past 35 years in Africa, beginning with two years in the Peace Corps teaching math at Haile Selassie University, Ethiopia in 1964–66. He later taught there as a civilian from 1968–77. In the ’70s, he became affiliated with Sobok Travel and took part in first descents of many remote African rivers, such as the Tekeze, Omo, and Awash. He later founded his own company, Remote River Expeditions, leading adventure trips down many of Africa’s wildest rivers. In 1977, he moved to Nairobi, where he helped conduct research on the African elephant while continuing his river expeditions. He was fluent in Amharic, Swahili, and French, and he enjoyed bringing his clients into interactions with remote tribespeople. In addition to his Reed degree, he also held degrees from St. Johns College and Stanford. Survivors include his parents, two brothers, and a son.

Appeared in Reed magazine: February 2000

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