Friday, Dec 16, 2016
Frank was a retired professor from Rider University’s College of Business Administration
Dr. Henry J. Frank, a retired professor from Rider University’s College of Business Administration, died on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016, in Voorhees, N.J. He was 97. Frank was a veteran of World War II, a longtime finance professor and a resident of Princeton for more than 60 years, according to an obituary provided by his daughter Ellyn Frank McMullin. Frank was born on June 29, 1919, in Brooklyn, N.Y., and grew up in the New York/New Jersey area. He graduated high school at 16 and received his Bachelor of Arts in political economy from Columbia University in 1938. He served in the Army Corps of Engineering during WWII as a reconnaissance officer and, after VE-day, he closed out his active military career by running a U.S. Army nightclub in Grenoble, France. After returning to the U.S., he was a service officer for American Legion Princeton Post 76 for many years. In 1952, he moved his family to a new house, funded by veteran’s benefits, in Princeton. With his academic focus on state and local government finance, he began attending Princeton Township Committee meetings as an interested local resident. He continued to attend the meetings, often as the only non-elected or appointed official present, for the next 60 years. In 1958 he received his doctorate in political economy from Columbia University. He taught economics and finance at the New Jersey College for Women (now Rutgers University), Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, N.J, and Rider. He firmly believed in academic freedom and actively participated in the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) for 70 years. The AAUP chapter of Rider University honored him with two awards given annually in his name. In addition to teaching, he provided consulting services in matters of local finance for governments in Maine, Maryland and numerous jurisdictions in New Jersey. Frank was buried in the Princeton Cemetery on Nov. 27 following services at the Mather-Hodges Funeral Home in Princeton. He was predeceased by his wife of 71 years, Bernice M. Frank. He is survived by his children, Ellyn (George) McMullin, Elliott Steven (Roni) Frank and Carolyn Frank. Given his commitment to higher education, in lieu of flowers, please send donations to: Columbia College Financial Aid in Memory of Henry Frank at: Columbia College Office of Alumni Affairs and Development, Attn: David Silver, 622 West 113th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10025 or visit https://giving.columbia.edu/giveonline/.