Alexander “Figg” Newton ’66

Alexander “Figg” Newton ’66, of Madison, Ga.; Jan. 15, 2024. He earned his JD from Duke University School of Law and headed to New York City to practice law. After a while his adventurous spirit emerged and he left the law practice and spent two years in Guatemala serving as a Peace Corps volunteer. That led to a career with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He spent two years in Mali, five years in the Ivory Coast, and four years in Quito, Ecuador, traveling regularly for work throughout the region, which led to him meeting his future wife, Betsy Wagenhauser, at the South American Explorers’ Club, where she was working. A five year tour in Bangladesh followed with frequent work visits to Nepal. They started a family and then spent four years in Kazakhstan, where he served as democracy office chief. He was promoted to USAID deputy mission director of Haiti in 2000 and returned to West Africa in 2002, first to Ghana, then four years in Mali as mission director. He retired in 2012 but began a series of short-term assignments for USAID that took him back to Africa, Indonesia, Egypt, and Ukraine. In between assignments, he and Betsy built a home in Madison. He continued to enjoy high adventure hobbies such as hang-gliding, scuba diving, bungee jumping, and surfing. He is survived by his wife; a daughter; and a son.