Remembering Penny Fox: A champion of discovery science

In honor of Penny Fox, whose memory lives on through Wistar’s Robert and Penny Fox Tower.

Walk through Philadelphia, and you’re likely to encounter the name Penny Fox. Along with her husband Robert Fox, Penny was a devoted champion of the city—a philanthropist, civic leader, and trusted friend to many. At The Wistar Institute, the couple’s generosity left a lasting mark, helping shape both its campus and its mission.

Penny and Robert spearheaded the creation of the Robert and Penny Fox Tower, a cornerstone of the Institute’s campus that added 90,000 square feet of research space, and created the Robert and Penny Fox Endowed Professorship. Through an endowed fund created by Penny—alongside her daughter Amy, and son-in-law Dan Wheeler—she enabled the creation of the Fox Biomedical Research Technician Apprenticeship, expanding access to careers in biomedical science. Penny also chaired the Wistar Gala Committee, helping lead one of the Institute’s largest and most important annual fundraising events.

Amy recalls that her mother’s upbringing as the daughter of a family doctor imbued Penny with a deep respect for the role that science and medicine play in keeping people healthy.

 “Her father was a family doctor, back in the day when house calls were common,” explains Amy. “She used to drive him around on some of those visits, and I think they shared a lot during those rides; she always identified as the daughter of a doctor. She knew and understood the value of medical science, and I think that extended to the type of early research that Wistar pursues.”

That spirit carried into the couple’s giving. Although Robert was often the more visible of the two, Penny was equally involved in the causes they supported. “My parents were a team,” she says. “My father truly valued the insights that my mother offered, and she was in lock-step with him every step of the way. They acted as a sounding board for each other.”

Amy also notes that giving was central to Penny’s identity. “Philanthropy was really part of who she was,” Amy adds. “She supported what she loved—the arts, women’s education, science—it was more than just a philosophy, it was ingrained in her as a person.”

“Her generosity was inspiring, and she had a clear sense of the causes she wanted to champion,” said Dr. Dario Altieri, president and CEO of The Wistar Institute and the Robert and Penny Fox Distinguished Professor. “She and Bob worked in close partnership to ensure their giving reflected shared priorities.”

Reflecting on the couple’s impact, Amy adds: “I’m just delighted to look around Philadelphia and see how they shaped this city and its future, and I feel inspired to try and follow in their footsteps.”