St. Lawrence University President Fox to retire in 2021

CANTON, N.Y. — St. Lawrence University President William L. Fox has announced his plan to retire on June 30, 2021, after 12 years at the helm of his undergraduate alma mater.

He shared the news with the campus community on Tuesday, the school said.

Under his leadership, St. Lawrence’s endowment has grown nearly 70 percent to about $320 million, in addition to producing nearly $140 million in endowment income, the university said. He has led the university to “record” fundraising results as the Campaign for Every Laurentian has raised more than 80 percent of its $225 million goal. The campaign will continue to be a priority during his final year.

During Fox’s tenure, St. Lawrence’s sprawling campus grew to include new buildings and renovated historical spaces spanning academics, athletics, and the arts. This effort included Kirk Douglas Hall, Appleton Arena, the Center for Student Achievement, Peterson-Kermani Performance Hall, Herring-Cole Hall, Owen D. Young Library, the Richard F. Brush ‘52 University Quad and the Class of 1975 Promenade.

Fox became the 18th president and senior lecturer in the history of his undergraduate alma mater on July 1, 2009, after serving as president and senior lecturer in philosophy, religion, and history at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri between 2003 and 2009.

In the previous five years, Fox was special assistant to the president at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland.

Earlier in his career, he served as a faculty member at Claremont School of Theology in California; Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland; and Howard University in Washington, D.C.