George Fox (423)

George Fox (27 November 1759–September 1828) was a physician, and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1784. Born the son of APS Member Joseph Fox, George Fox began attending the University of Pennsylvania in either 1773 or 1775, though allegedly he never graduated. In 1780, Fox gained a large inheritance from his late father and relocated to Europe for the next three years. During his travels, he fell ill at a chateau outside Paris, and his host quickly removed him to Paris for treatment, where Fox allegedly died. Most absurdly, the Capuchin monks tasked with his burial supposedly resurrected him. Fox later renamed his family estate, Champlost, after the French Chateau where he initially fell ill. Fox became a close friend to William Temple Franklin, grandson and Paris-based secretary of Benjamin Franklin. After the passing of both Franklins, many of the senior Franklin’s letters were inherited by Fox (most of which eventually came into the American Philosophical Society’s care via Fox’s son, Charles P. Fox). After returning to Philadelphia in 1783, Fox became a prominent man in political affairs: he worked as representative for Philadelphia to the State Assembly (1800), acted as a director of the Bank of the United States (starting in 1799 or 1812), and he served as trustee of his alma mater from 1789 to 1791, whereupon he retired the position only to return from 1812 until his “final” death in 1828.