In Remembrance: James H. Manges ’50 Died on August 7 2018

With deep sadness the family of James H. Manges (Jim) announces his passing on Tuesday, August 7, 2018.  A loving father and grandfather, Jim is survived by his daughter, Alison Manges Nogueira, her husband John Nogueira, and their young daughters, Olivia and Marina; and by his son Jamie (James H. Manges Jr.), his wife, VanTrang Manges, and their young daughters, Zoe and Kaia.  Jim is also survived by his niece, Kirsten Manges (daughter of his beloved late brother, Gerard H. Manges), her husband Ken Hamm, and their twin sons, Nicholas and Jackson, as well as Jim’s former wife, Mary Seymour Manges.

Jim was born in New York City on October 8, 1927, the son of the late Horace S. Manges (one of the three founding partners of the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges) and Natalie Bloch Manges. He went to school during World War II at Phillips Exeter Academy, graduating in 1945.  He served with US Army Counter-Intelligence in Italy and Austria in 1946 and 1947, respectively.  Upon his return, he completed a BA degree at Yale in 1950 and an MBA from Harvard in 1953.

In 1954, Jim joined the investment banking firm of Kuhn, Loeb & Co. in New York (which merged with Lehman Brothers in 1977) and served as partner or managing director of Kuhn, Loeb & Co. and Lehman Brothers for 29 years, retiring in 1996.  He specialized in corporate finance and advised a wide variety of companies on their overall corporate strategy, acquisitions, and financings.  He also assisted a number of foreign governments, including Denmark, Sweden, and the Philippines, in establishing their credit through debt financings in the international capital markets.

Jim additionally served as a director and executive committee member of Metromedia Inc. (1970–86), Proudfoot PLC (1996–98), and Baker Industries Inc. (1967–79). He was a trustee of the Episcopal School (1978–92) and St. Bernard’s School (1985–2000) in New York City, as well as Phillips Exeter Academy (1985–89), where he also served on the Trustee Council (1989–95).  Jim served on the Yale Class of 1950 executive committee since 2010 and had been a member of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), Washington, DC, since 1988. 

Jim was a man of integrity, kindness, wit, and humor. He had a keen interest in politics and enjoyed attending the theater with his friends and family. Deeply devoted as a father, grandfather, brother, and son, he loved his family dearly and made them a priority throughout his life. We, his family, as well as his many friends, will miss him greatly.

A memorial service will be held at 4:00 pm on September 13 at Frank E. Campbell “The Funeral Chapel,” 1076 Madison Avenue (at 81st), with a reception to follow.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim’s memory to the Phillips Exeter Academy Development Office, 20 Main Street, Exeter, NH 03833 or to any of the schools or institutions mentioned above.

—Submitted by the family.