Wharton professor Thomas Dunfee - a pioneer in the field of business ethics - passed away on June 22 due to complications from cancer. He was 66.
Dunfee was chairman of Wharton's Legal Studies and Business Ethics department.
He left behind his wife of 40 years, three children and six grandchildren.
According to Legal Studies professor Eric Orts, a close friend of Dunfee, Dunfee also carried over his paternal nature to his interactions with faculty.
"For many of us, he was a bit of a father figure as well as a mentor," Orts said. "He was very good about taking new faculty under his wing and showing them the ropes.
Dunfee was the chairman of the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department several times throughout his 34 years at Penn.
He also served as the first director of the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research and as vice dean of the Wharton Undergraduate Division.
He taught a variety of business ethics courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level. One of his students, Wharton senior Geoffrey See Kok Heng, said Dunfee "had a very personal approach to students, and went through a lot of effort to learn more about the topics that we were interested in."
He believed passionately in introducing business ethics as a core component of business education, colleagues said.
"There's professional ethics in law school and in medical school, so why should business be any different? He was very effective at making that argument," Orts said.
Real Estate professor Peter Linneman said Dunfee was "the most genuinely decent guy" that he knew.
"He was always very focused on his kids and his family and how he could be of use," Linneman said. "He knew how to laugh at himself, he knew how to laugh with you."
Colleagues said Dunfee had recently expressed intentions of retiring and moving to Washington to be closer to his grandchildren. Dunfee was set to step down from his position as chairman on June 30.
His memorial service will take place at 3 p.m. on October 10 in Jon M. Huntsman Hall.
Over the summer, several adjunct and emeritus Penn professors also passed away.
Patricia Johnston, an adjunct faculty member at the Graduate School of Education, passed away July 11 at age 57.
Robert Shayon, an emeritus professor of the Annenberg School of Commincation, passed away June 28 at age 95.
Biology professor emeritus Philip George passed away July 21 at age 88.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.