Merle Thorpe, Jr. (1918-Feb. 13, 1994) was an American lawyer and philanthropist. Thorpe was born in Washington DC and attended Sidwell Friends, St. Albans School and the Phillips Exeter Academy. He then earned bachelor's and law degrees from Yale University. Thorpe served as a Navy intelligence officer during World War II. After the war Thorpe joined the Washington DC law firm Hogan & Hartson, where he was a partner from 1956 to 1982. Thorpe led a number of early shareholder's rights battles. Thorpe took a trip to the Middle East with Senator William Fulbright in 1975 and afterwards Fulbright became a mentor to Thorpe about the region. Thorpe's interest in the region led him to start the Foundation for Middle East Peace in 1979. He died of cancer in 1994. References 1994 deaths 20th-century American lawyers Sidwell Friends School alumni St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.) alumni Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Yale Law School alumni 1918 births