Display in Robert Purcell Community Center

Robert W. Purcell (1912–1991) was an American businessman and philanthropist, having been financial advisor to the

Rockefeller Family The Rockefeller family ( ) is an American Industrial sector, industrial, political, and List of banking families, banking family that owns one of the world's largest fortunes. The fortune was made in the History of the petroleum industry in th ...

from 1955 to 1979 and chairman of the board of trustees of

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

from 1968 to 1978. During his tenure as chair, two different presidents, James A. Perkins and

Dale Corson Dale Raymond Corson (April 5, 1914 – March 31, 2012) was an American physicist and academic administrator who was the eighth president of Cornell University. Early life Born in Pittsburg, Kansas, in 1914, Corson received a B.A. degree f ...

, resigned. However, his tenure as Chair also marked expanded minority enrollment, the founding of the Africana Studies and Research Center, and adding five student members to the Board of Trustees. Purcell was also on a number of corporate boards and had a role in

Bendix Corporation Bendix Corporation is an American manufacturing and engineering company founded in 1924 and subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse since 2002. During various times in its existence, Bendix made automotive brake shoes and systems, vacuum tubes, aircraft ...

's 1982 attempt to acquire

Martin Marietta The Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of Glenn L. Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin. History Martin Marie ...

Early life

Purcell was born in

Watertown, New York Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, New York, United States. It is approximately south of the Thousand Islands, along the Black River, about east of where it flows into Lake Ontario. The city is bordered by the t ...

in 1912. He graduated from

in 1932, being elected during his last year into the

Sphinx Head Society The Sphinx Head Society is the oldest senior honor society at Cornell University. Sphinx Head recognizes Cornell senior men and women who have demonstrated respectable strength of character on top of dedication to leadership and service at Cornel ...

. Purcell then graduated from the Cornell Law School in 1935. The North Campus student union at Cornell, built in 1971, was named for Purcell in 1982.

References

1912 births 1991 deaths Philanthropists from New York (state) Cornell University alumni People from Watertown, New York 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American philanthropists {{US-business-bio-1910s-stub