Bobby Fong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bobby Fong
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| 15th President of Ursinus College | |
| In office 2011–2014 |
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| Preceded by | John Strassburger |
| Succeeded by | Terry Winegar (interim) Brock Blomberg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1950 Oakland, California |
| Died | (aged 64) Collegeville, Pennsylvania |
| Spouse | Suzanne Fong |
| Alma mater | Harvard University University of California, Los Angeles |
| Profession | Professor |
Bobby Fong (born around 1950 – died September 8, 2014) was an important American educator. He served as the President of Ursinus College in Pennsylvania.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Bobby Fong grew up in Chinatown, a vibrant neighborhood in Oakland, California. His parents had moved there from China.
He went to Harvard University and earned a degree in English. He was a very smart student, even joining a special honor society called Phi Beta Kappa. Later, in 1978, he earned his Ph.D. (a very high degree) in English literature from the University of California, Los Angeles. His big research paper was about the famous writer Oscar Wilde.
A Career in Academia
Bobby Fong started his teaching career at Berea College. He later became a Dean and English Professor at Hope College in Michigan. In 1995, he took on a similar role at Hamilton College (New York).
Leading Butler University
On June 1, 2001, Bobby Fong became the 20th president of Butler University in Indianapolis.
In 2010, Butler University's basketball team had an amazing run in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. This brought a lot of national attention to the small school and its president. Butler made it all the way to the Final Four! They even beat Michigan State before losing to Duke in the championship game.
Fong believed that colleges should balance great academics with great sports. He told The New York Times that students should always be students first. He also wrote in the Chronicle of Higher Education that Butler showed how a university could have both strong academics and excellent sports without spending too much money.
In October 2010, Fong announced he would leave Butler. He was going to become the president of Ursinus College.
Presidency at Ursinus College
Bobby Fong became the president of Ursinus College on July 1, 2011.
In 2012, he was chosen to lead the Board of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. This is a national group that works to improve the quality of college education.
A newspaper called The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote about Fong in 2012. They noted that he was one of only about 40 Asian Americans serving as college presidents in the U.S. at that time.
Sadly, Bobby Fong passed away suddenly on September 8, 2014, at his home in Collegeville.
Fong is remembered for creating a big plan for Ursinus College. This plan aimed to make the college's core liberal arts programs even stronger. It also focused on making Ursinus more well-known both in the U.S. and around the world. One of his main goals was to plan a new Innovation and Discovery center. This building would connect the two science buildings on campus. It would also create a space for different science fields to grow and work together.
Awards and Recognition
In 2011, Bobby Fong received the President's Awards from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. This award recognized his efforts to improve student life at Butler University and in higher education generally.
See also
- Ursinus College
