Hampshire Mourns the Death of James “Jim” Crown 71F
A noted business leader and philanthropist, James Crown died unexpectedly on Sunday, June 25. Jim graduated from Hampshire College in 1976 and remained committed to the College throughout his lifetime, including sponsoring, with his wife, Paula, the Crown Founders Challenge in 2020.
“He was a remarkable man, who enacted his commitment to the communities he was part of with great care and seriousness,” said President Ed Wingenbach. “I’m grateful for Jim’s incredible legacy of support for Hampshire, of course, but I’m also grateful I had the opportunity to get to know him. I know he will be missed by many.”
The Crown family name sits at the center of Hampshire College’s campus, where the Robert Crown Center, named in memory of Jim’s uncle, houses athletics, outdoor programs, and the pool and sauna beloved by generations of students.
In 2020, Crown and his wife provided critical support for Hampshire’s Change in the Making campaign. Their $5 million gift for the Crown Founders Challenge was the largest single donation since the founding of the College, providing matching funds for gifts from Hampshire’s first five entering classes of 1970–1975.
One of the earliest students to enroll at the College, just a year after it first opened its doors, Crown went on to earn a J.D. from Stanford Law School and built a career in finance, becoming chairman and chief executive officer of Henry Crown and Company and serving on the boards of JPMorgan and General Dynamics. Among his civic and community-service roles were chairman of the board of trustees for the University of Chicago, chairman of the Aspen Institute, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Campaign co-chair Ken Burns 71F said, “I am deeply saddened to learn of Jim’s passing. He was a dedicated philanthropist whose support for a variety of causes served as an example of the profound good that generosity can do. His Hampshire legacy is a remarkable one, particularly the funding of the Crown Founders Challenge, which was an essential boon to the Change in the Making campaign at a crucial time.”
Photo by Jared Siskin/Getty Images via Bloomberg
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