Ward S. Curran

Ward Schenk Curran, formerly of West Hartford, CT passed away on Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.  He was 91 years of age.

Born on June 26, 1935 in Springfield, Illinois to Nathaniel B. and Clara Schenk Curran, Professor Curran received his primary and secondary education in the Springfield public school system graduating from Springfield High School in June 1953.

Professor Curran received his undergraduate training at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut under the auspices of Scholarships for Illinois Residents, Inc.  Curran was a member of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity as well as a key player on The Trinity College football team, which was undefeated during the 1954-1955 and 1955-1956 seasons, respectively. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity in June 1957 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a concentration in Economics, he continued his studies at Columbia University under a grant from the Edward John Noble Foundation.  He received his M.A. and PhD in Economics from Columbia University in 1958 and 1961 respectively.

Professor Curran joined the faculty at Trinity College as an instructor in Economics in 1960.  He rose through the ranks to full Professor on September 1, 1971.  On January 1, 1982, he was appointed the George M. Ferris Professor of Corporate Finance and Investments, a chair he held until January 1, 2006.  He was then appointed to the "Ward S. Curran Distinguished Professor of Economics", an endowed chair generously funded by Peter Kraus, a former student in the class of 1974.  Professor Curran held that chair until his retirement on June 30, 2012.  In 2002, Mitchell M. Merin, Class of 1975, Trustee Emeritus, kindly established a scholarship endowment in Professor Curran’s name.  In June 2007 on his 50th class reunion, Professor Curran's name was added to Trinity's most distinguished alumni award, The Eigenbrodt Cup.  In May 2012, Curran received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Trinity for 52 years of service to Trinity College.

Professor Curran published numerous scholarly articles in finance and other areas of economics.  Among his writings are three books, Principles of Financial Management, Principles of Corporate Finance, and An Economic Approach to the Regulation of the Corporate Securities Markets. His publications record took him into other areas of economics ranging from the economics of private higher education to the economics of law. Professor Curran was also instrumental in establishing and teaching in the Master of Arts program in the economics of finance at Trinity, one of the earliest such programs in a liberal arts college. In addition, Professor Curran was the College's first director of Institutional Planning (1971-73). This position led to an appointment as consulting economist to a project funded by the Sloan Foundation on the costs and financing of private higher education.  This project resulted in the founding of the Consortium on Financing of Higher Education (COFHE).  This organization is now a nationwide group of private colleges and universities. Professor Curran was appointed the first representative from Trinity to COFHE.

Although he served in other capacities at Trinity, including three terms as Chairman of the Department of Economics, as well as an economic consultant to various organizations, Professor Curran's primary interest was in the classroom and with his students.  Based on his publications in finance he was asked by the Chairman of the Economics Department at Yale University to establish a course in portfolio theory and financial markets in the undergraduate curriculum.  With the permission of Trinity, he began the first class in 1973.  He continued on numerous occasions for over the next thirty three years and continuously from 1993 to 2006 as a Visiting Professor to teach a single course in finance in the undergraduate curriculum at Yale.

Always eager to experience different teaching environments, Professor Curran has taught on different occasions a joint seminar in Antitrust and Regulation at the University of Connecticut School of Law.  This course was part of a Masters’ program in Law and Public Policy sponsored both by Trinity and the Law School. He also taught as a Visiting Professor an economics course at Wesleyan University.

Professor Curran leaves behind his beloved wife of almost 63 years, Kathleen Jannett Curran, two cherished daughters, Andrea Curran Cullinan of Jackson Hole, WY and Colleen Thayer Curran, Trinity College class of 1992 of Palm Beach Gardens, FL and their husbands, Brian Cullinan and D. John Magner. He also leaves behind a sister, Catherine Buckmaster Curran of West Hartford, CT.  Additionally, Ward leaves behind his treasured grandchildren, Brett McGrath Cullinan, Trinity College class of 2012 of Dallas, TX Andrew Ward Cullinan of Malibu, CA and Breanna Cullinan Anthony of Malibu, CA, Katherine Jane Magner of Ottawa, Ontario and Elizbeth Ann Vesterfelt of Ottawa, Ontario.  Ward also had three adored great grandchildren, Quinn Jonathan Vesterfelt, Averie Katherine Vesterfelt and Leighton James Lester all of Ottawa, Ontario as well as several cherished nieces and nephews..

A memorial service at the Trinity College Chapel will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, November 14th, 2026.  In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Nathaniel Buckmaster and Clara Schenk Curran Scholarship fund at Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106-3100