Charles Easton Rothwell, 84, Dies; Educator Helped Draft U.N. Charter

OAKLAND —  Charles Easton Rothwell, a drafter of the United Nations Charter and former president of Mills College, died at his home Friday. He was 84.

Rothwell joined the U.S. State Department during World War II and had a hand in founding the United Nations. He was executive secretary of the 1945 conference in San Francisco that drafted the U.N. Charter.

Rothwell obtained his bachelor of arts degree from Reed College in Portland, Ore.; his masters in education from the University of Oregon, and his doctorate from Stanford. He later taught at all three schools.

Rothwell served as president of Mills, an all-women’s college, from 1947 until his retirement in 1967. After his retirement, Rothwell became a regional adviser on educational development for the Asia Foundation. He was co-author of several books on policy sciences and the role of the college in world affairs.

Rothwell is survived by his wife, Virginia, and his daughter, Martha Anne Rothwell.