Announcement of Deaths of Two Staff Members in a Helicopter Crash on August 28, 1962

' . FOR IMMEDl·A.TE RELEASE NT 1818 H STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON 25, D. C. TELEPHONE: EXECUTIVE3-6360 .Aug~s'L 28, 1962 The World Bank regrets to announce that confinnation has now been re- ceived from Bangkok of the deaths in a helicopter crash of two staff members, Mr. John B. Shearer and :tvlr. Vance Rogers, who were acting as Advisers to the Government of Thailand. Both men were killed on the evening of Saturday, August 2S, when the helicopter returning them to Bangkok from a mission up- country crashed with the loss of all aboard. • Ylr. John B. Shearer was born in1904 of British parents in the Hainan Province of China. He went to school in Greenock, Scotland, took a B.Ae at Trinity College, Oxford, and an M.A. at Glasgow University. He served in the Indian Civil Service from 1929 to 1949 in a variety of posts dealing with financial administration. In November 19SO, he joined the Ionian Bank as Manager for Greece and remained there until 1958 when he joined the Commercial Bank of the Near East. In Nay 1962 he agreed to join the World Bank, to serve in Thailand as Chief Adviser to the National Economic Development Board. He is survived by his wife., Mrs. Ann Edith Shearer of West Poundgate Manor, Crowborough, SussexQ Mr. Vance Ro~ers was born in 1908 in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended the Uni- ;ersities of Ohio, Chicago., Hawaii and London. He took a B.A.J in Economics and Business and a Diploma in Social Anthropology. Mr. Rogers entered the U.S. Government Service in 1934 and served in a wide variety of posts. In the U.S. he saw service in the National Resources Board, the Resettlen1ent Administration and the Soil Conservation Service. After a period in the late 'forties in the Caracas office of IBEC in Venezuela, he rejoined the .American Government Service and worked for ICA as Director successively of the U.S. Aid Offices in Haiti, Panama, Mexico and Peru. He joined the World Bank in April 1962 and went to Thailand in July as Chief Ad- viser to the Northeast Committee., which is charged with the development of a • low-income region in the northeast part of Thailando Mr. Rogers is survived by Mrs. Marjorie B. Rogers, a son, Bryant w. Rogers of Atlanta, Georgia, and twin daughters, Lynn Vance and Jean Ann. All except the son were living in Bangkok with Mr. Rogers at the time of his accident I>