TIMOTHY HAYDEN MULLIGAN

Born: May 21, 1938
Died: September 7, 2011

Timothy H. Mulligan was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, son of Edward Bowman Mulligan, Jr., '29, and Celia Hayden Rhoads Mulligan. His grandfather Samuel W. Rhoades was a graduate of the class of 1903 and an uncle Frank H. Rhoades was the class of 1941. Tim prepared for Yale at Andover.

Tim came to Yale with the class of 1960. After sophomore year he took a leave of absence to study at the Sorbonne 1959-1960. He returned in September 1960 to join our class and graduated with us in June 1962. He was a member of Branford College and a French major.

After graduation Tim worked for 22 years in the publishing field as an editor at such magazines as This Week, Good Housekeeping, and Family Weekly. In 1985 he began 10 years of memorable service as head of public affairs for the New York Council on the Arts, working with Kitty Carlisle Hart, Peter Duchin and Gov. Mario Cuomo.

Since 1995 he was the Vice President and Director of External Affairs for the Bard Graduate Center, a position he held until his death. His work notably included expanding international coverage and initiating the Center's Global Travel Program organizing numerous trips and leading many. He also began the Center's annual Iris Awards for outstanding contributions to decorative arts.

Tim was a public affairs consultant who advised the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Mariners' Museum in Virginia and a host of corporate clients. He also contributed freelance articles to such national magazines as Omni, Conde Nast Travelers and Travel and Leisure.

He was particularly well known for his many original travel books. His book, The Travelers Guide to the Hudson River, was widely praised. It is now in its 5th edition and has been in print for 30 years. He also published The Traveler's Guide to Western New England and the Connecticut River Valley, and Virginia, A History and Guide. He co-edited The Battle of Hampton Roads: New Perspectives on the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia in 2006.

Tim was a dedicated gardener, a scholar, champion of the arts and a man of infectious wit, elegance and taste. He was a theater buff and a voracious reader.

He resided in Brooklyn Heights where he died of cancer on September 7, 2011. He was predeceased by his brother, Samuel R. Mulligan, class of 1953, who died on August 10, 2007. Tim was survived by his partner of 46 years John O'Keefe, whom he married under New York's new same-sex marriage law three weeks prior to his death. Mr. O'Keefe, himself a consultant to the Met, graciously supplied information for this essay. Tim was also eulogized in an article in The Brooklyn Eagle and in The New York Times.