Norwich University

Dick Dirgins was a three-sport athlete at Norwich excelling as a four-year standout on the football team. A member of the class of '59, he earned All-State honors as a tackle for the Cadets his senior year. He helped the team to winning records in three of his four seasons. 

Dick also played one season apiece for the basketball and baseball teams and was an active part of the campus community as an undergraduate. He was a four-year member of the Varsity Club and Newman Club while also serving on the Winter Carnival committee, the Guidon staff and in Theta Chi Fraternity. 

Upon graduating with a degree in business administration in 1959, Dick began a 35-year career in the Army retiring as a Brigadier General serving in Germany in 1994. He passed away suddenly in January of 1995. 

Dick never forgot Norwich while building his career in the Army. He was a tireless recruiter for new students while serving as the president of the Norwich Club of Germany. Faithfully arranging to bring all Norwich men and women together, he ensured that all new arrivals to Germany knew that the Norwich family was for them. 

At the dedication of the headquarters of the 7th Army Reserve Command in Germany, Dick was described as "a giant of a man who has a huge heart, a wonderful sense of humor, a dynamic personality, and a genuine love for life and people. He was often described as a one-man   chamber of commerce and a person who never met a stranger. Dick was also a pioneer and a trail-blazer in European Reserve Arena. But, more importantly, he was a loving father, husband, and grandfather; a friend and mentor to all, a highly successful businessman; and a superb leader and soldier."