A leader in both the classroom and on the lacrosse field, John W. Snape achieved many firsts during his exemplary undergraduate years at Hobart. A psychology and sociology double major, he earned many accolades for his excellent work academically, athletically, and as a member of the ROTC program. Selected to the Orange Key and Chimera honor societies, the sophomore and junior class honor societies, respectively, Snape also was the vice president of his junior and senior classes.
He carried his success and leadership skills from the classroom to the lacrosse field where he excelled as a four-year letter-winner. The first player to score 10 goals in one game, Snape earned honorable mention All-American honors as a sophomore, and third-team accolades a year later. Netting 103 goals in his first three seasons, he became the first Statesman to ever reach the century mark. However, he saved his best campaign for last, garnering second-team All-American recognition his senior season. A team captain in 1954, Snape’s 43 goals were nearly half of the team’s total that season, while his 146 career scores was the highest by a Statesman at the time. His ability to find the net earned him a spot in the 1954 North-South All-Star game in which he scored two goals in a 13-11 North victory.
Away from the classroom and lacrosse field, Snape was an Air Force ROTC cadet. A leader in all aspects of his life, Snape was the first from Hobart to win the rank of Cadet Colonel and the first to receive the Distinguished Cadet award. He also was a charter member of the National Arnold Air Society and acted as the commander of the first cadet group at Hobart to complete the advance Air Force ROTC training program.
After graduating from Hobart, Snape continued his service in the U.S. Air Force attending Jet Fighter School and eventually headed to Jet Bombers. He piloted a Boeing B-47 Stratojet and took his crew on missions to many places, including Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Japan, and Guam.
After serving in the military, the Swarthmore, Pa., native pursued a career as a financial services independent broker from which he is now retired.
