Fred Fox will get his doctorate degree from the University of Arizona tonight at a gala concert celebrating the 100-year-old former musician and teacher.
Fox, who has long ties to the UA through his former student, UA horn professor Daniel Katzen, has spent the past two days being courted by the school of music, which now bears his name. The tributes come in recognition of a $20 million donation from Fox's son and daughter-in-law Alan C. and Daveen Fox.
The junior Fox, founder and president of the Los Angeles-based ACF Property Management — a real estate investment firm that specializes in shopping centers — committed to the gift last November. It was announced in mid-January.
During a gala concert tonight, the senior Fox will get an honorary degree followed by a concert featuring UA faculty and student musicians.
Ed Ried, the school's director, said the concert and ceremony were put together in seven weeks and involved nearly every one of the school's ensembles, including the UA Symphony Orchestra and the Symphonic Choir.
On Tuesday, the school held a ceremony to unveil the "Fred Fox School of Music" sign on the College of Fine Arts Building. On Wednesday, the Foxes spoke to an audience of music students and faculty, during which Alan Fox explained his hopes for how the money will be used to elevate the UA school.
"I always dream big," Alan Fox said. "I dream that the school in five, 10 or 20 years will be recognized as the top music school in the United States and the world. ... This is really a terrific school. I see the students here working really, really hard and you have every possibility in the world to become one of the top music schools."
Later Wednesday morning, Reid said he hoped the money would be a launching pad to encourage other donors to support the school.
Before Fox's donation, the largest gift to the school was $3.1 million from the late Dr. Sanford "Sandy" Bolton in early 2012 to endow the Bolton Guitar Studies Program, one of the nation's top classical guitar programs.
See related story in Thursday's Arizona Daily Star.
