E. Inman Fox

Edward Inman Fox (1934–2008) was a mid-twentieth century academic from Nashville, Tennessee, who received international recognition as a scholar of modern Spanish literature. While a student at Vanderbilt University in 1951, he emerged as one of their leading tennis players. Despite the prospects of a career in the sport, Fox chose an academic career, graduating magna cum laude from Vanderbilt before earning a Ph.D. in Romance Languages at Princeton University. He later held faculty appointments at several universities and served as dean of faculty at Vassar College and president of Knox College in Illinois, where he became interested in administrative affairs. His scholarship focused on modern Spanish intellectual history, particularly the works of José Martínez Ruiz (Azorín) and Miguel de Unamuno. In 1993, his writing earned him 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.

Early life

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, his father was Herbert F. Fox Sr.; his mother, Ladye Inman. His older brother, Herbert Fox, was a member of the Nashville Banner editorial staff; he later became a prominent society reporter in Nashville, and founded the society magazine nFocus. Inman Fox's sister was Peggy Fox Morgan. He won the Tennessee State High School Championship and the Southern Junior title in 1950. While attending Vanderbilt University from 1952–1954, Fox played No. 1 singles for the Commodores and was a tennis letterwinner. 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. In his later career, he was assistant basketball coach at Vanderbilt and Princeton. The dramatic turnaround later became the subject of a case study on the role of presidential leadership by the National Center on Higher Education Management.

From Knox College, he moved to the chairmanship of the Hispanic Studies program at Northwestern University. He later served as an academic consultant to undergraduate colleges in the U.S., South America, and the Middle East. He retired and moved to Nashville in 1999, and again spoke at MBA. Dr. Fox served on the boards of the International Institute of Spain, the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni, and the Vanderbilt Alumni Association. The prize is presented annually as part of Knox College’s academic honors and awards ceremony.