Inman Fox

Edward Inman Fox (1934–2008) emerged as one of the top collegiate tennis players in the United States in 1951, widely regarded as a rising star in the sport. However, his exceptional intellectual ability led him to set aside a promising tennis career in favor of academia. A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Fox was a tennis prodigy in his youth and held the No. 1 ranking on the Vanderbilt University tennis team. He graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt and received a Fulbright Scholarship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Wilson Fellowship for study abroad. He earned a Ph.D. in Romance Languages from Princeton University and became a leading scholar of modern Spanish literature, publishing 15 books and numerous academic articles. His contributions to Spanish cultural studies earned him international recognition. In 1993, Fox received the highest honor given by the Spanish government in the arts—the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts, by King Juan Carlos I. He held faculty appointments at Vanderbilt, Vassar, Princeton, and Northwestern, and served as dean of faculty at Vassar College and president of Knox College in Illinois.

Tennis career

While in high school at Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy, he captured local junior tennis titles in 1949 and 1950 and was captain of the tennis team. He won the Tennessee State High School Championship and the Southern Junior title in 1950. Attending Vanderbilt University, he was ranked No. 1 and led the Commodores during a particularly competitive era. In the 1951 Nashville Municipal Tournament, he pulled off what was called “the biggest upset in local municipal history,” defeating Joe C. Davis—one of Nashville’s most revered tennis figures. Fox later triumphed in the tournament, beating Steve Potts in the semifinals and John Bell Keeble in the final. For many years, Fox spent his summers working at Nashville's Belle Meade Country Club tennis facility with pro Bill Lufler of the University of Miami, coaching him. Lufler considered Fox one of the top ten collegiate players in the country. Fox said he was left-handed in everything except swinging a racquet. He played varsity basketball at MBA, leading the team in scoring his senior year. In his later career, he was assistant basketball coach at Vanderbilt and Princeton.

Academic career

He received his Bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University (Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa) and was named a Fulbright scholar to study at the University of Montpellier in France. He won Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Bearman Montgomery, and Owen D. Young fellowships and grants. He graduated magna cum laude, then joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and served 20 years, retiring with the rank of captain.

Fox was the recipient of three Vanderbilt research grants: two in Spain and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He attended Princeton University to earn a Ph.D. in Romance Languages in 1960. While there, he met faculty members who were the leading intellectuals and artists exiled from Franco’s Spain. These included the Spanish journalist and literary critic, Azorín and other members of the "Generation of ’98", bent on restoring Spanish pride after the disastrous Cuban– Spanish-American War. This became Fox's area of special interest and expertise.

Teaching

He began teaching at Vanderbilt in 1960, also serving as acting director of admissions. Fox’s publications include 15 books and dozens of scholarly journal articles and reviews. In his teaching career, he taught at Vanderbilt, Princeton, the University of Massachusetts, Vassar and Northwestern. In 1965, he was appointed the John Guy Vassar Chair of Modern Languages at Vassar College, where he also served as Dean of Faculty and director of long-range planning.

Management

In 1974, Fox was named president of Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. At the time, the school was struggling financially, and their situation seemed to spark Fox's management interest. During his tenure, the endowment of the school nearly tripled, restoring the school’s fiscal health. The dramatic reversal led to a case study on the role of presidential leadership by the National Center on Higher Education Management. “Inman Fox saved Knox College,” wrote William Bradey when Dr. Fox left Knox College in 1982.

From Knox College, he moved to the chairmanship of the Hispanic Studies program at Northwestern University. He later lent his expertise as an academic consultant to undergraduate colleges in the U.S., South America, and the Middle East. The State Department enlisted his help at the National University of Uruguay in 1988. Requests from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador soon followed.

Spanish literature

An internationally recognized authority on 19th- and 20th-Century Spanish literature, he was a world authority on the Spanish novelist and poet, Miguel de Unamuno. Fox spent many summers in Madrid, and had many friends in Spanish academic circles. In 1985, Juan Carlos, King of Spain, awarded him The cross of the Order of Queen Isabella the Catholic for his contribution to Spanish literature and culture. In 1993, King Juan Carlos awarded him the highest honor given by the Spanish government in the arts, the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes ( Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts), at a grand reception in the Canary Islands.

Legacy

In 1998, he retired and returned to Nashville. He received MBA’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999. Dr. Fox served on the boards of the International Institute of Spain, the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni, and the Vanderbilt Alumni Association. He chaired the Illinois Rhodes Scholarship Committee and was a consultant to the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He served on the advisory boards of the Patterson School of International Diplomacy (at the University of Kentucky) and the department of Romance Languages at Princeton.