It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Keystone Symposia’s founder, Charles Frederick Fox ("Fred" Fox). We take this opportunity to celebrate his life, and the legacy that he started in founding a visionary conference organization that bridged academic and industry science to accelerate advances that benefit society. His work has touched the lives and careers of hundreds of thousands of scientists, and has brought to fruition innumerable life-saving biomedical advances, and will continue to do so in his absence. Dr. Fox passed away late last year, in October 2024, at the age of 87 at his home in Southern California with his wife, Dr. Jacqueline Schott, and family by his side. A scholarship fund will be set-up in his name, generously funded by the family with additional contributions from Keystone Symposia, to honor his memory and inspire future generations to follow in his footsteps.
Below his colleague Dr. Ralph Bradshaw, an early member of the Keystone Symposia Board who worked closely with Dr. Fox during Keystone Symposia’s formative years, provides a tribute.
A Tribute to Fred Fox
by Ralph A. Bradshaw
Fred Fox was a widely recognized academician who conducted biological research notably in the areas of growth factor function and membrane structure. However, he was certainly better known as the founder of the UCLA (now the Keystone) Symposia in Molecular and Cellular Biology. These conferences - started as a single meeting on Membrane Biology in March of 1972 at what was then known as the Squaw Valley Olympic Village outside of Lake Tahoe, CA. - were and still are held mainly at ski resorts in the western part of North America. The meetings as a whole were widely known as the ‘ski meetings,’ borrowing from the European concept of holding a scientific meeting at a ski resort, with a program arranged to allow the participants time to take advantage of the ski facilities. Shortly after moving to LA, Fred made the acquaintance of Bill Parsons, who ran the Olympic Village at Squaw Valley and this partnership was key to the development of the Symposia first under the auspices of UCLA and then as a part of the Keystone Center, a non-profit think tank operating out of the Keystone Resort in Keystone, CO.
Following the first highly successful meeting in March, 1972, Fox quick realized that there was a serious shortage of scientific meetings in the biological and biomedical fields held on the west coast of the U.S. Most of these meetings, including large annual Society meetings, were held on the east coast and occasionally in the mid west. Accordingly, he immediately expanded his ski meeting format, rapidly increasing the slate of hosted meetings to a half dozen/year. In keeping with his entrepreneurial instincts, he also recognized that the very fledgling biotechnology industry was likely to profit greatly from this kind of meeting, due to the rapid advances in molecular biology that were occurring at about the same time. At the time, Societies were focused solely on the academic sector, ignoring the commercial side of biosciences. Thus from the outset, Fox solicited the involvement of multiple biotech companies, which helped to defray the speaker expenses and thus insured that leading scientists accepted invitations to speak.
This association with industry was and still is a unique feature of the Symposia and has contributed greatly to the improvements in health care that have been wrought by the biotechnology industry.
Photos from the first Keystone Symposia Conference at formerly Squaw Valley (Now Palisades Tahoe), California.
Fox was quickly recognized for his broad knowledge of the key areas of science that were at the leading edge of developing bioscience, as well as his selection of the best individuals to act as conference organizers. At an early meeting in Park City, Utah, I shared a condo with Fred along with Harry Haigler of UCI and Harvey Hershman, UCLA, and observed him in action on the phone setting up meetings and securing sponsors. In a little over an hour he had put together 3 meetings complete with organizers, and funders with people he didn’t know before the calls.
As a trademark of a real entrepreneur, and Fred was one of the best I ever met, his enthusiasm for his ideas was infectious.
Over the 20 years Fred ran the Symposia or was active in managing it, he organized over 200 meetings and was unquestionably an excellent meeting organizer. The Keystone Symposia has gone on to host over 1500 meetings on every continent (except Antarctica) in nearly 50 unique areas of bioscience. It has a Board of Directors and a Scientific Advisory Board composed of more than 80 Academic, industrial and government research leaders, and is generally regarded as one of the premier organizers of international scientific conferences.
Fox’s accomplishments, particularly in regard to their impact on the international scientific community, are largely without equal. The Symposia organization owes its existence and its positive impact on the development of human and animal health care to Fox and his inspirations.
--Ralph A. Bradshaw has served continuously on the governing bodies of the Keystone Symposia in Molecular and Cellular Biology since 1987, including as Chair of the Executive Committee (1991-1994) and treasurer (1997-07), and is currently an emeritus member of the Board of Directors. He has attended/organized over two dozen Keystone meetings.
Other Career Highlights
More About Fred Fox’s Life
Dr. C. Fred Fox, award winning microbiologist, professor emeritus UCLA and founder of what is now the Keystone Symposium on Molecular and Cellular Biology passed away on October 24, 2024, with his family by his side. He fought a valiant fight with Alzheimer’s and was briefly hospitalized. Fred was lovingly cared for by his wife Dr. Jacqueline Fox (Jackie) in their home which Fred dearly loved.
He was a devoted husband, father, and brother who lived his life with great zest and curiosity.
Fred was born August 19, 1937, in Springfield, Ohio, the only son of Charles L. Fox, longtime principal of Springfield High School, and Geneva Demarest Fox, concert pianist and teacher. In Fred’s youth, he loved the outdoors, science, model trains, music, and reading. By high school, Fred was a professional trumpeter with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and local jazz bands. He performed in the SHS marching band and created the band’s halftime football field programs. Fred had a lovely tenor voice and sang leading roles in school musicals and sang solos in church. He tutored students in science and taught private trumpet lessons. In his spare time, he had a large paper route! Fred was industrious and generous. Some of what he earned delivering papers and teaching was added to the Fox family’s coffer.
Encouraged by his parents, Fred began developing his career in science as he enrolled in college at Wittenberg University. His college degrees include: BA in Science cum laude, Wittenberg University, 1960; MA in Science, Ohio State University, 1961; Doctor of Philosophy, University of Chicago, 1964; Honorary Doctor of Science, Wittenberg University, 1974. After receiving his doctorate, Fred became a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. In1966, Fred became Associate Professor of Microbiology at University of Chicago. In late 1971, Fred moved to California where he was Professor of Microbiology, UCLA, from 1971-2012.
In 1973, Fred won the distinguished Eli Lilly award in science from the American Chemical Society. Fred was awarded the Martin Luther Distinguished Alumnae award from Wittenberg University. He also received a distinguished alumnae award from Springfield High School. During his career, Fred received many Recipient Research Career Development awards, United States Public Health Service, 1969-1976. Fred became Department Chairman, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at UCLA in 1976, a position he held until 1981. He was founding editor of the “Journal of Cellular Biology” (Wiley Publishing) and author of several scholarly books.
In 1972, Fred founded what is now known as the Keystone Symposium, an international conference of 50-60 annual meetings on topics ranging from structural biology to global health. The Symposium was Fred’s brainchild which he organized for scientists to discuss membrane biology. From that first meeting the Symposium has grown to be a preeminent gathering of scientists around the world, including presentations by Nobel prize winners, national leaders in public health, and leaders of industry. Additionally, the Symposium encourages young scientists.
Fred felt there was great benefit from encouraging scientists and industry leaders to exchange ideas. For years he was on the Board of the Symposium and helped it flourish. During the Symposium’s 50th year celebration, Fred was honored as founder.
In 1981, Fred was co-founder of a biotechnology company now known as Xoma. Throughout his career, he was listed as a noteworthy microbiologist, educator and consultant by Marquis Who’s Who. Fred was a member of numerous scientific societies like the American Society of Molecular Biology.
As a devoted family man, Fred lovingly supported his three children, Genny, Eric, and Kris throughout their schooling and found great joy raising them. He was an avid snow skier and gourmet chef. In fact, Fred designed a restaurant quality kitchen for his home. His family and friends looked forward with great anticipation to the many meals and holiday banquets he and Jackie prepared. Fred and his family traveled to worldwide destinations, hiked in national parks, and skied at Colorado ski resorts including Keystone, Colorado, where they had a second home. It should be noted how much Fred loved the family’s pet dogs; they were his faithful and constant companions. What a beautiful life Fred had!
Fred is survived by his wife of 44 years, Jacqueline Schott Fox (Jackie) Laguna Woods, California; his son, Kris Fox, Calgary, Canada; his daughter, Genevieve Caitlin Fox (Genny) and fiancé Nick Scozzaro, Santa Barbara, California; his son, Dr. Eric Warren Fox, Union City, California; his sister Lucinda Fox Carter (Cindy) and husband Dr. Lyne H. Carter Dallas, Texas. A family celebration of Fred’s life will be held at his home.
Those wishing to make gifts of remembrance might consider Fred’s affiliate colleges, Alzheimer’s Association or Keystone Symposium on Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Read more about the founding years of Keystone Symposia
Read more about the evolution of Keystone Symposia
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Return to the May 2025 Keypoint Newsletter