The following is taken from a newspaper article about his athletic
activities while he was attending “Boy’s High School in Brooklyn, N.Y.”;
Harold Van Riper, at present attending Boy’s High School in Brooklyn,
New York, has become very prominent in school boy athletic circles
through his excellent work in football, baseball, track and swimming.
Although he ran on the relay team, representing Public School No. 70,
he took very little active part in athletics until he entered the High
School. He immediately took up track work and succeeded in making
the cross-country team. His work on that team last year was of such
high order that he was elected captain of the team for this fall. He then
made the Boy’s High School relay team and won many points for his school
in the mile and 1/2 mile events. He broke his novice February 13, 1908
at the Barnard School games in the 600 yard run. From then on he
succeeded in winning medals in almost all the races he participated in.
At the end of the track season he went out for baseball and made left
field. At that position he played, a fast consistent season. His stick work
was excellent, having an average of .600 at the close of the season. For
this he got the Herald Medal, being the best batsman in the Public
School Athletic League Tournament. This fall he took up football and
turned out to be a very valuable man. His work on that team was
particularly commendable, especially in the Manuel Training game. He
also represented his school on the swimming team and the water polo
team which won the championship three years ago. This is his last year
in school boy athletics, as he is in his senior year.”

During World War I he was a Lieutenant in the United States
Eleventh Field Artillery, receiving his commission at Camp Oglethorpe,
Georgia. The steamship, Mount Vernon, brought him back to the United
States, and he was discharged at Camp Grant, Illinois in 1919. Another
article from the local paper regarding his war record is as follows:

“In a history of the activities of the Eleventh United States Field
Artillery printed in Dijon, France, this year, two pages are devoted to
the valor, under fire, of Lieutenant Van Riper and particularly when at
Remey Farms, within a mile of the Meuse River, he successfully directed
the fire of Battery “A” by use of his field glasses, smashing a nest of
enemy guns and killing a large number of men.”

In 1914 he graduated from Dartmouth College, Hanover, New
Hampshire, and received his Masters degree from The Thayer School Of
Engineering. He was very proud of his college; often quoting a saying by
Daniel Webster, also a Dartmouth graduate, “It is a small college, yet,
there are those who love it.” He was a member of the Beta Theta Pi
fraternity. In the Dartmouth Golden Book the following is noted: Services
to Class ’50-52 Assistant Class Agent. Services to Dartmouth. Dartmouth
Club Of Central Penna., Past President. ’58. 200th Anniversary Develop-
ment Program, Harrisburg Area Special Gifts Campaign, Chairman. ’59
Capital Funds Campaign. Harrisburg Area, Chairman. ’61. Represented
Dartmouth at the inauguration of the new President of Dickinson College,
Carlisle, Penna.

While working for the Penna. Cumberland Valley Railroad, Co. as
a draftsman, he met Ruth Esther McCurdy. Some time later they were
married, June 29, 1920 in Chambersburg, Penna. She was the daughter of
Charles Harvey and Jane (Jennie) McCurdy of Chambersburg, Penn-
sylvania. They had two daughters Martha-Jane, who married Henry E.
Bachman, an engineer with Westinghouse Corporation, and Harriet
Griffith, whose husband is Dr. Richard Knox Smith, a Presbyterian minister
— see family tree for their children and etc.

For almost fifty years Mr. and Mrs. “Van”, as their friends and
neighbors like to call them lived at 132 Conway Street, Carlisle, Pennsyl-
vania. For thirty-five years “Van” was employed by The Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania Department of Highways in the Engineering Department
first as Assistant-engineer and later as Chief Design Engineer in Harris-
burg, Pennsylvania. After his retirement from the Highway Department,
he was employed by the firm of Modjeski and Masters Consulting Engineers
of Harrisburg, Penna. In 1942 he had the honor to become the president
of The Engineering Society of Penna. in Harrisburg. He was a member of
the Professional Engineers Society of Penna., National Academy of
Sciences, Highway Research Board, Washington, Highway Officials of
North Atlantic States, and American Association of State Highway Officials.

Following his retirement from Modjeski and Masters’ firm in 1971,
he began to research information for “The VanRiper Family Tree”, also
known as “The Graveyard Gazette” by his wife. After a year his work
on this project was completed. His life, too, on earth ended early Sunday
morning, August 12, 1973, at the age of 81 years-10 months-4 days. He
had lived a long unselfish and happy life, he and his wife just having
celebrated their fifty-third wedding anniversary, June 29, 1973. A soft-
spoken, modest gentleman, friendly and polite to all regardless of age,
color or station in life, he was highly respected and very well thought-of
member of the community. He loved his church, his family, the neighbor-
hood children, and all things beautiful-especially good music and books,
horses and nature. He enjoyed taking hikes in the woods where he could
snap pictures of the flowers, birds and the small wildlife. He also had
a special interest in the less fortunate youth of the town.

Following a very meaningful memorial service given by the Rev.
R. M. Weer in the 1st Presbyterian Church, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he
was laid to rest in The Mount Holly Spring Cemetery. In his memory, we
his family rededicate, “The Van Riper Family Tree,” on which he labored
and enjoyed researching during the last year of his life. MJB