John O. Fox

Background

John Fox was born on October 6, 1938, in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in southern California.

Education

John Fox attended Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, where he excelled in academics and athletics. Then, he studied at Harvard University. John got there a Bachelor of Arts in 1960. Also, John attended the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1960-1961. Later, John Fox graduated from the University of California and got a Bachelor of Laws in 1964. Besides, he studied at Georgetown University. There John got a Master of Laws in 1967.

Career

John Fox was a seasoned tax lawyer who taught and wrote extensively about the social and political significance of the tax code. In 1968, he co-founded the law firm Sherman, Fox, Meehan & Canton, where he worked as a lawyer from 1984 to 2000.

In 1985, John Fox with his family moved to Amherst, where he continued to practice law, but also launched a teaching career. For more than three decades, John taught tax and public policy at Mount Holyoke College.

In addition to teaching and that he was a lawyer, John Fox also was a writer. He wrote many articles about tax policy. John's articles on what's right and wrong with the United States revenue system have appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and many other newspapers. John's books included If Americans Understood the Income-tax: Uncovering Our Most Expensive Ignorance and Ten Tax Questions That the Candidates Don't Want You to Ask.

Achievements

• John Fox was known as a lawyer and writer. He was a co-founder of Sherman, Fox, Meehan & Canton, where he served as a lawyer for more than 15 years. As a writer, he was the author of many articles about tax policy. His books included If Americans Understood the Income-tax: Uncovering Our Most Expensive Ignorance and Ten Tax Questions That the Candidates Don't Want You to Ask.

Works

More photos

• book

  • 10 Tax Questions the Candidates Don't Want You to Ask

    (A provocative book intends for the 2004 campaign that att...)

    2004
  • If Americans Really Understood the Income Tax 2001

Politics

John Fox was active in Amherst's political and zoning issues. He was an elected member of the Amherst Town Meeting for 25 years and fought unsuccessfully in 2018 to preserve the town meeting form of government for the community. In his writing, teaching, and public speaking, John sought to show the many ways tax law both reflects and shapes society's evolving political values. He argued that the tax code should be made simpler and fairer to promote social justice and a healthy democracy.

Views

Quotations: "The book If Americans Really Understood the Income Tax: Uncovering Our Most Expensive Ignorance is an examination of the social and economic consequences of federal income tax policy, with proposals for significant reforms, written for the non-expert as well as the policy analyst."

Membership

• John Fox was a public member of the Commission on Institutes of Higher Education.

  Commission on Institutes of Higher Education , United States

Connections

John Fox married Gretchen Gause Fox in 1964. They had two children: Joe and Margaret Fox.

Wife:

Gretchen Gause Fox

Son:

Joe Fox

Daughter:

Margaret Fox