Richard J. Fox, the namesake of Temple University’s Fox School of Business, has passed away at the age of 92.
Fox’s family held a memorial service at Temple on Tuesday to honor his life and legacy.
Many family members and friends spoke to pay respect to not only Fox’s many accomplishments in business but also his contributions to Temple.
Fox was raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Central High School in 1945. Fox then enlisted in the Navy during the Korean War and served on the Battleship Missouri and the USS Howard D. Crow.
After being released from active duty, Fox and his brother Bob started The Fox Companies, a construction and real estate management firm. They developed many shopping plazas, houses, and apartment buildings. Some of their biggest projects were the Wachovia Center and Chesterbrook, an 865-acre community in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
Fox was also an active member in the community and politics. He was a board member of the Federation of Jewish Agencies of Philadelphia and was also a longtime Republican activist.
In 1980, Fox was the Pennsylvania State Chairman of the Reagan/Bush campaign. In 1985, he worked with Republican presidential candidate, Jack Kemp, as his national finance chairman.
Fox was also an active member of the Temple community for many years.
Fox was a Temple board member since 1967 and served as board chair for 17 years. He actively fought to ensure diverse voices were heard, and that students had access to the newest and best technologies.
For his many contributions to Temple, Fox was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 1993 and the Alumni Association’s Diamond Award in 1996.
Fox is survived by wife Geraldine, five children, seven grandchildren and his brother Robert.
Memorial contributions may be made to Temple University’s Fox School of Business General Scholarship Fund. Visit Fox’s website and select Give to Fox to make a contribution.
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