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Frank Popoff

1935 – 2024

Bulgarian-born American businessman

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About Frank Popoff

Lived 1935 – 2024 (aged 88). Frank Popoff was an American businessperson and entrepreneur.

Frank Popoff or Frank Popov (; October 27, 1935 – February 25, 2024) was a Bulgarian and American businessman. He served as the chairman of TCF Financial Corporation from April 2004.

Biography Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, on October 27, 1935, Popoff emigrated in 1941 with his father and mother, Eftim and Stoyanka Popoff and his sister Joan to Terre Haute, Indiana. He attended Terre Haute Wiley High School in Terre Haute, graduating in June 1953. He then attended college at Indiana University, graduating with an A.B. in chemistry in 1957, and an MBA from IU's Kelley School of Business in 1959. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

While in graduate school, he married Jean Urse, a graduate of the IU College of Education on August 30, 1958. They had three sons.

Popoff died in Midland on February 25, 2024, at the age of 88. He was a director of Chemical Financial Corporation from 1989 to 2006 and chairman from 2004 to 2006. He has served as director of American Express Co., Qwest Communications International Inc., United Technologies Corp. and Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. and was director emeritus of the Indiana University Foundation. He was also a member of the American Chemical Society and served as a member of both the Business Roundtable and The Business Council. In his tenure as the CEO of Dow Chemical, Popoff led the push to make the company environmentally sustainable. 1989 - Titled Knight Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau by the Netherlands. 1990 - Northwood University, Doctorate (honorary). 1992 - Leadership Award of the United States Council for International Business. 1993 - René Dubos Environmental Award. 1994 - International Palladium Medal of the Société de Chimie Industrielle (American Section). 2014 - Petrochemical Heritage Award.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Indiana University, Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Dow Chemical Company, TCF Financial Corporation
Employers
Dow Chemical Company
Awards
Petrochemical Heritage Award

People in Frank Popoff's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Frank Popoff's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Frank Popoff?

Bulgarian-born American businessman (1935–2024)

When was Frank Popoff born?

Frank Popoff was born on 27 October 1935 in Sofia.

When did Frank Popoff die?

Frank Popoff died on 25 February 2024 in Midland.

What was Frank Popoff's occupation?

Frank Popoff was a businessperson and entrepreneur.

What nationality was Frank Popoff?

Frank Popoff was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Frank Popoff

· Wikidata: Q16097298

· DBpedia: Frank Popoff

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Frank Popoff. https://biography.guide/frank-popoff/

MLA: "Frank Popoff." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/frank-popoff/.

Chicago: "Frank Popoff." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/frank-popoff/.

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