David McLaughlin, 72; Dartmouth President Doubled Endowment

David McLaughlin, 72, a former president of Dartmouth College who was credited with doubling the college’s endowment, died Wednesday in his sleep while on vacation in Dillingham, Alaska. The cause of death was not immediately determined.

During McLaughlin’s presidency, which lasted from 1981 to 1987, he increased faculty salaries by more than 43%. His tenure also included clashes with students protesting the college’s investments in South Africa and a then-controversial decision to reinstitute on-campus military training through a Reserve Officer Training Corps program.

A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., McLaughlin earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Dartmouth and a doctorate at Colby-Sawyer College.

As a member of the Dartmouth football team, he set records for passes caught and yardage that stood for more than two decades. He declined to pursue a football career after being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles.

McLaughlin became an Air Force jet pilot and later held a senior management position with Champion Papers and the chairmanship of Toro Co.

He served as chairman and then president and chief executive of the Aspen Institute, a prominent think tank, until 1997. McLaughlin completed a three-year term as chairman of the American Red Cross in June.