Nine Decades of Love for Rutgers
Bart Klion, who began visiting the Rutgers–New Brunswick campus in the late 1930s and enrolled in 1944, continuously supported the university up to the end of his life.
Bart Klion, who followed his older brother whom he idolized to Rutgers University and stayed actively involved as an alumnus for nearly 80 years after graduating in 1948, died Tuesday, April 7.
Klion, who had turned 98 on March 28, remained closely connected to the university right up until his last days. He served many years as the Class of 1948 president and fulfilled numerous volunteer roles, seeking out news from classmates and frequently returning to campus from his home in New York for reunions and events.
“Bart loved Rutgers University and was the true definition of a ‘loyal son,’” his family wrote in his obituary.
In the latter third of his life, Klion was a founding member of the alumni group that partnered with the university to launch the Rutgers Oral History Archives (ROHA) in 1994, the year his brother Stanley died at the age of 70. He would go on to serve as president and remained a member of the board of directors. Even into his late 90s, Bart remained an engaged member of ROHA’s governing board, attending meetings regularly and offering thoughtful contributions.
“Bart Klion’s selfless dedication for the past 30 years was critical in laying a foundation for the long-term success of the Rutgers Oral History Archives and the Rutgers Living History Society,” said William Fernekes RC’74, chair of ROHA’s Community Liaison Committee, which is its governing board. “His wisdom and compassion will be sorely missed.”
Conceived and initially funded by the Class of 1942, of which Stanley was a member, the initial purpose of the archives was to collect stories of the World War II generation. It soon expanded to include a wide range of voices and now houses more than 1,200 oral histories that consist of nearly 50,000 pages of text. More than 30,000 researchers utilize the archive, which has been ranked 15th in the “Top 100 list” ranked by Oral History Online.
Shaun Illingworth, director of ROHA, said Klion often said his service was motivated by a desire to honor his late brother. “Yet it was Bart’s own dedication, leadership, and steady guidance that left an indelible mark on our organization,” Illingworth said. “As the last member of our founding generation to serve on the committee, his passing closes a significant chapter in ROHA’s history.”
Born in 1928, Klion grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and began visiting Rutgers to see his brother who enrolled in 1938. Memories of World War II he shared in his oral history recorded in 1994 include serving as an air raid messenger on West 82nd Street. After graduating high school in 1944 at the age of 16, he enrolled at Rutgers College.
In his second year on campus, he took over the role of president of the Rutgers Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity chapter. “I had just turned 17,” he said in 1994. “I looked like I was 12.”
He also participated in ROTC all four years, served as business manager for the Targum student newspaper and manager for the swim team. “The best years of my life school-wise were down here at Rutgers,” he said in the oral history.
After graduating, Klion enlisted and served as a second lieutenant in the Army for one year and then served six years in the Army Reserves while beginning a successful career as a wallcovering sales and marketing executive in New York. He married his wife Barbara in 1955, and they had two children, Bruce and Lisa. In 1960, they moved to Hartsdale, New York, where they remained until 2018 when they moved to Saratoga County, New York. Barbara died in September 2024.
Throughout his career, family life, and many activities (he skied until he was 82 and played tennis until 89), he always had time to devote to his alma mater.
“Bart Klion’s long life and his many decades of devotion to and support of Rutgers as an engaged alumnus is truly inspiring,” said Kimberly A. Hopely, executive vice president of Development and Alumni Engagement and president of the Rutgers University Foundation. “He was a wonderful human being.”
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