Bobby Fong

Bobby Fong (c. 1950 – September 8, 2014) was an American academic and the President of Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.[1]

Bobby Fong
15th President of Ursinus College
In office
2011–2014
Preceded byJohn Strassburger
Succeeded byTerry Winegar (interim)
Brock Blomberg
Personal details
Bornc. 1950
Oakland, California
Died (aged 64)
Collegeville, Pennsylvania
Spouse(s)Suzanne Fong
Alma materHarvard University
University of California, Los Angeles
ProfessionProfessor

Background

Fong grew up in Chinatown in Oakland, California, the son of Chinese immigrants. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in English and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1978 he earned a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of California, Los Angeles, writing his dissertation on the works of Oscar Wilde.[2]

His academic career began at Berea College. He later served as Dean of Arts and Humanities and Professor of English at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. In 1995 he became Dean of the Faculty and Professor of English at Hamilton College (New York).

Butler University

On June 1, 2001 Fong became the 20th president of Butler University in Indianapolis.

In 2010, Butler's surprising run in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship tournament brought the small school and its president national attention. Butler advanced to the Final Four, beating Michigan State before losing to Duke in the championship game.

In a profile in The New York Times, Fong spoke about finding the right balance for college athletics. "We work from the presumption that there should be not a gap between academic excellence and athletic excellence," he told author William C. Rhoden. "The expectation is that you are here to be a student first."[3] In a column for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Fong noted that "for many people, we exemplified how a university could seek a proper balance between academic seriousness and athletic excellence—and without breaking the bank."[4]

In October, 2010, Fong announced that he would leave Butler the following summer to assume the presidency at Ursinus.[5]

Ursinus College

Fong became president of Ursinus on July 1, 2011.[6]

In 2012, he was elected Chair of the Board of the Association of American Colleges and Universities,[7] a national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education.

A 2012 profile in The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that at the time, Fong was one of only 40 Asian Americans serving as college presidents in the U.S.[8]

On September 8, 2014, Fong died suddenly of natural causes at his home in Collegeville.[9]

Fong is credited for spearheading a strategic plan for Ursinus College that aimed to strengthen Ursinus's core curriculum in the liberal arts, while building on its recognition domestically and abroad. One of his highest priorities as president also included planning a new Innovation and Discovery center, a building that will connect the current two science buildings on campus, and which will provide a space that will foster the continued growth and connectivity of the sciences across interdisciplinary fields.

Awards

In 2011 Fong received the President's Awards from National Association of Student Personnel Administrators for his efforts to advance the quality of student life at Butler and throughout higher education.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-10. Retrieved 2014-09-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. UCLA Library Catalog The Poetry of Oscar Wilde
  3. William C. Rhoden (2010-03-31). "For Butler's President, Excellence Is Expected". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  4. Bobby Fong (2010-04-10). "How Butler Won the NCAA Tournament". Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  5. Bobby Fong To Become 13th President of Ursinus College Archived 2010-11-05 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Ursinus College - President Bobby Fong". Archived from the original on 2012-12-01. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  7. Association of American Colleges and Universities Announces Seven New Directors and New Slate of Officers for Board of Directors Archived September 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  8. Jeff Gammage (2012-02-03). "Ursinus' Fong a rare Asian American college president". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  9. Susan Snyder (2014-09-10). "Ursinus President Bobby Fong, 64, dies of natural causes". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  10. "Fong to Receive National Award". Inside Indiana Business. 2011-01-05. Archived from the original on 2013-06-01. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
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