Walter G. Muelder of Boston, formerly of Newton died on Saturday June 12 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He was 97 years old. He was the Dean and Professor of Social Ethics at Boston University School of Theology for 27 years. The son of Rev. Epke Hermann Muelder and Minnie Horlitz Muelder, he was born March 1, 1907 in Boody Illinois and had his early education in Peoria and San Jose Illinois and Burlington Iowa. He graduated from Knox College (B.S., magna cum laude) in 1927, Boston University School of Theology (S.T.B., magna cum laude) in 1930 and the Graduate School (Ph. D.) in 1933. In 1930-31 he was a fellow of the Institute of International Education at the University of Frankfurt, Germany. An ordained elder of the United Methodist Church, he served parishes in Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Wisconsin before beginning his long career as an educator, writer, administrator and ecumenist. He taught at Berea College (1934-40 and 1972-73) in Philosophy and Bible; at the University of Southern California (1940-45) in Christian Theology and Ethics; and at Boston University from 1945-1972 as dean and professor of social ethics. Following his retirement he taught at Berea College, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Andover-Newton Theological School, Iliff School of Theology and again at Boston University. In 1979 he was president of the American Society of Christian Ethics. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was a member of the Southern New England Conference of the United Methodist Conference of the United Methodist Church and served frequently as a delegate to its highest judicatories, it boards and agencies. Muelder was active at all levels of the ecumenical movement, participating in numerous assemblies and conferences of the World Council of Churches. He was an instructor at the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey in Geneva, Switzerland (1953-54); chairman of the (1961-68); and member of the Commission on Faith and Order (1952-75). In 19634 he was an accredited Methodist Observer at the Second Vatican Council. He was also chairman of the organizing committee and first President if the Boston Theological Institute. He was active in the National Council of Churches and the Massachusetts Council of Churches. From the latter, he received in 1985 the Forest L. Knapp Award in Ecumenics and Social Justice. As a social activist, he was engaged in civil libertarian defense of persons of Japanese ancestry in World War II and victims of McCarthyism in the 1950s. He was credited by Martin Luther King Jr as being an important influence in his pilgrimage to nonviolence as philosophy of social change. Muelder wrote extensively in the fields of philosophy, theology, ethics and ecumenics. Boston University has established a professorship in his honor in the School of Theology in the field of social ethics. In the fall of 1996 Walter Muelder and his Martha moved into the Springhouse retirement community in Jamaica Plain. While there, he was active on the residents committee and served on the Board of Directors. He was predeceased by his Martha (Grotewohl) after a marriage of 63 years. He is survived by his children Sonja Devitt of Stratford CT, Helga and Kenneth Wells of Swarthmore PA and Linda and William Schell of Holbrook. He was the brother of Milton E. Muelder, Florence Smith and Ruth Stank. Grandfather of Monica Devitt, John Devitt, Christina Wells and Douglas Bielenberg, Carl Schell and Paul Schell. He also leaves his dear friend Elinor Downs and numerous other friends and colleagues. A Memorial Service will be held at the Marsh Chapel of Boston University on Monday June 21 at 10:30 AM. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Visiting hours will be held at the Eaton and Mackay Funeral Home 465 Centre Street, Newton Corner on Sunday June 20 from 2-5 PM. Interment services will be private. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Theology Foundation of the Boston University School of Theology, 745 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston MA 02215.