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Houghton, 21, Studied Psych, Belonged to Fly

Currier-Affiliate Was Born in Beirut

James P. Houghton '94' an affiliate of Currier House and a psychology concentrator, died this weekend from what appeared to he a suicide. He was 21.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Houghton moved to the U.S. at the age of 5, He lived in several places, including Cambridge, and settled in Washington, D.C.

He attended St. Paul's School, a prestigious boarding school in Concord, Mass., before enrolling at Harvard.

Archie Douglas, Houghton's guidance counselor at St. Paul's, described him as a "happy kid, a very reflective kid, intelligent, a real searcher."

"He was quite popular with his peer group. He had lots of friends here. He was interested in the outdoors and intramural sports. He meant a lot to a lot of people," Douglas said.

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Houghton lived in Pennypacker Hall his first year and moved off-campus during his sophomore year. He was a member of the Fly Club.

Houghton was found dead Sunday afternoon in the courtyard of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, located near the Cambridge-Somerville border.

He is survived by his parents, Arthur A. Houghton III '62 and Sherrill M. Houghton, a brother, Andrew A., and four stepsisters.

Houghton's grandfather, Arthur A. Houghton Jr.'29, is the namesake of Harvard's Houghton Library.

A Private internment will take place at Fisher's Island, New York. A memorial service will be held tomorrow at 8 p.m. in the Appleton Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be sent to Astrolabe Inc., of Washington D.C., a corporation created to study and preserve and marine life of the Pacific and tropical reefs.

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