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The countries and sites that were initially considered included Japan, Switzerland, France, Austria, and Luxembourg. An exploratory group was appointed by President Phillip Shriver to visit potential sites in Europe along the line of French and German cultural and linguistic transition. The members of that group were Professor Warren L. Mason of the Department of Government (now Political Science), who served as chair, John E. Dolibois, Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs, Robert F. Etheridge, Vice President of Student Affairs, and Professor Dwight L. Smith of the History Department. They set out with an unusual goal: to find a location that would foster and support an educational center abroad independent of other universities, a location where our center would stand out and enjoy a high degree of support from the local community and its leaders. It was Dolibois who first suggested his native Luxembourg and was to be very instrumental in establishing the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University European Center (MUEC) as well as cultivating access to every segment of Luxembourg society on behalf of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú.

From Luxembourg to Ohio

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University's vice president emeritus for university relations, Dolibois (pronounced DOLL-uh-boy) was born Dec. 4, 1918, in Luxembourg. In 1931 at the age of 12, he immigrated with his father to the United States on July 4, joining John's sister, Marie, who was living in Akron.

He graduated from Akron North High School as president and valedictorian of his senior class and earned a four-year scholarship to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University.

He became involved in Boy Scouts as soon as he arrived in America and credited the Scouts for helping him adjust to a "foreign" environment. An Eagle Scout, he organized Oxford's first official Boy Scout troop as an undergraduate in 1938.

He majored in psychology at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, graduating with honors in 1942. While at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, he was president of the alpha chapter of Beta Theta Pi and a member of several honoraries including Phi Beta Kappa. He became a U.S. citizen his junior year in 1941 and married Winifred "Winnie" Englehart (ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú '42) during their senior year at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú.

Wartime Service

He took a job at Procter & Gamble as an industrial engineer. When drafted later in 1942, he pointed out that he was fluent in German. He was eventually commissioned a lieutenant in the cavalry and transferred to a military intelligence center in Camp Ritchie, Maryland.

After six months of interaction, he knew some of Hitler's most trusted and senior-deputies well. When the defendants went to Nuremberg, Dolibois followed, interpreting their responses to Rorschach inkblot tests given by an Army psychiatrist.

"One of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's finest alumni"

After the war, Dolibois, who left the Army as a captain, returned to his job at Procter & Gamble until May 1, 1947, when he became ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University's first full-time alumni secretary. He later became the first director of alumni affairs and development and, in 1966, first vice president for development and alumni affairs. In July 1981 he was named vice president for university relations, overseeing the news and publication offices as well as public relations, development and alumni programs.

"John Dolibois was one of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's finest alumni," said ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú President David Hodge. "He is the classic immigrant success story who served his adopted country with distinction in a unique role in the Nuremberg trials and later as ambassador to Luxembourg. A man of deep humanity, he was a master storyteller who had an incredible memory to draw from. He was passionate about ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, serving the university in a formal role and for many years afterward as one of our most ardent ambassadors. We are deeply saddened by his passing, yet filled with the joy of the friendship we enjoyed. Truly a remarkable human being."

Among many accomplishments at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, he helped establish a study abroad program in Luxembourg in 1968. The Luxembourg center was renamed the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University John E. Dolibois European Center in 1987.

He organized the university's first fundraising campaign, for $14 million, from 1978-1981, which helped raise funds to build the university's art museum, Marcum conference center and Yager football stadium and to increase the number of scholarships.

After 34 years at his alma mater, he retired so that he could represent the United States as ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg 1981-1985. In June 1981 he told the Associated Press that his nomination was the capstone of his career.

During his ambassadorial tenure, the 999-square-mile country of 365,000 was visited by Vice President George Bush, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of State George Schulz and Gen. Alexander Haig. In October 2003, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution naming the American embassy residence in Luxembourg the Dolibois House.

He and wife Winnie returned to Oxford in 1985 to retire. Until his death, Dolibois was a frequent speaker to students and other groups about his experiences surrounding the Nuremberg Trials.