Richard Fox, a Philadelphia property developer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and namesake of Temple University’s Fox School of Business, has died at the age of 92, the school announced Sunday.
Fox was born in Philadelphia in 1927 and attended Central High School. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he received a bachelor of science degree in engineering in 1950. He also served in the Navy during the Korean War between 1950 and 1953.
In 1953, Fox founded the Fox Companies, a real estate management firm. The company’s projects included the Wachovia Center, the Philadelphia sports arena which later became the Wells Fargo Center, as well as Chesterbrook, a community in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
Fox was also actively involved in Republican politics. He served as the Pennsylvania State Chairman of the Reagan/Bush presidential campaign in 1980, founded the Republican Jewish Coalition in 1985 and served as the national finance chairman of Republican nominee Jack Kemp’s presidential campaign in 1988.
Fox joined Temple University’s Board of Trustees in 1967 and served as the board’s chairman from 1983 to 2000. Temple’s Fox School of Business and Management was named in his honor.
“Dick Fox had a tremendous and lasting impact on Temple University. As a long-time member of the Board of Trustees and one of our longest-serving Board Chairman, he always wanted to ensure that students were given opportunities to challenge themselves, engage a diversity of ideas, develop their talents and do what is right,” Temple University President Richard M. Englert said. “We recognized the many ways he made Temple better by naming the Richard J. Fox School of Business and Management in his honor; but the truth is he honored us with his time, his dedication and his ongoing support.”
Fox is survived by his wife, five children, seven grandchildren and brother.
Business
“I know I speak for everyone at Temple when I send our deepest sympathies to his wonderful wife Gerry, his children and all who were touched by his passionate and generous spirit,” Englert said. “We all mourn the loss of one of our most valued members of the Temple family.”
