U. Trustee Browne died at 62

Penn trustee and alumnus Christopher H. Browne died Sunday of a heart attack, according to The Wall Street Journal. He was 62.

A 1969 College alumnus, Browne graduated with a history major. He was a 40-year partner at Tweedy, Browne & Co., an investment firm known for finding unpopular yet successful stocks, according to the Journal. Browne took over his position from his father.

In July, Browne stepped down from the firm's management and investment committees due to health concerns, according to a Crain's New York Business article.

He was on the Board of Overseers of the School of Arts and Sciences since 1982 and a University trustee since 1991.

In 2007, he made a gift of $15 million to the School of Arts and Sciences — the largest single gift ever made to the College — to fund five professorships. This commitment followed a $10 million gift from Browne to the College in 2000, also to endow five professorships, according to a statement from Penn President Amy Gutmann and Chairman of the Board of Trustees David Cohen.

Gutmann currently holds the Browne Distinguished Professorship in Political Science.

The Gutmann and Cohen's statement described Browne as a "true renaissance man, with the keenest wit and deepest dedication to great debate."

During his 18 years as a trustee, Browne served on many committees, including the Executive, Academic Policy, Budget and Finance, Compensation, and Facilities and Campus Planning Committees, as well as the Investment Board and the Proxy Subcommittee. He also served as a co-chair of Penn's Making History Campaign.

He was president of the Penn Club of New York and a member of the Board of Directors of Penn Alumni, where he served on the Nominations and Programming Committees.

Browne will not be replaced immediately on the Board of Trustees.

According the University Secretary Leslie Kruhly, there are a maximum permissible number of trustee slots — 56, excluding the four Commonwealth trustees and the two ex-officio trustees. The bylaws dictate that the board fill vacancies when the Trustee Nominating Committee identifies candidates and they are confirmed.

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