Frank Bubb: In Memoriam, The Atlas Society | Ayn Rand, Objectivism, Atlas Shrugged

We’re deeply saddened to inform our friends of the death of Frank Bubb. Frank was a Founding Member of The Atlas Society, and, from 2003 to 2010, a member of its Board of Trustees. On November 8th he lost his five-year battle with Young Onset Alzheimer's Disease.

Frank was a corporate attorney, chiefly with the Scott Paper Company in Philadelphia, where he rose to become Staff VP and Chief Financial Counsel. In the mid-1990s, he survived a radical restructuring by CEO "Chainsaw" Al Dunlop, and moved with the company to Boca Raton. From 1996 to his retirement in 2003, he was Senior VP and General Counsel for The Sports Authority retail chain, where he was responsible for its legal affairs. He was an expert in securities law, corporate governance, and employee compensation and benefits, among other areas.

From his college days Frank was an activist for liberty. As an undergraduate at Washington University, he founded an Objectivist discussion group and wrote a weekly column for the campus newspaper, a practice he continued at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he also taught courses on Objectivism. Despite the pressures of his legal work, he found time to write scores of op-ed articles for newspapers nationwide.

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Frank was truly a man of the mind. He was a friend, advisor, and comrade for over a quarter century.

Frank was actively involved in the life of our organization from the very beginning, as a donor, advisor, speaker, and writer as well as trustee. He had a special interest in our research and student programs. After I launched what was then the Institute for Objectivist Studies in early 1990, I wanted to hold a weeklong seminar for students that summer, but we lacked the funds.

Frank asked what we needed; his check allowed us to hold the first Summer Seminar. He was instrumental in our Objectivist Studies monograph series, providing seed money and advice on topics and authors. He wrote several great articles for our former publication Navigator, including a cautionary article about certain plans for privatizing Social Security, based on his intimate knowledge of pension and investment law. (See below for examples.)

"Frank and I served together on the Atlas Society Board for many years," says Jay Lapeyre, board chair. "Frank often stood alone in pushing an issue or a perspective, and I learned to appreciate both the wisdom of his insights and his intense commitment to understand and integrate the ideas. He sought truth in every discussion, and he was quick to volunteer his time and financial support when he believed he could make a difference. Frank brought a special passion for ideas and research, and he strongly advocated for expanded student programs."

Frank was truly a man of the mind. He was a friend, advisor, and comrade for over a quarter century. We have lost another great one. The staff and board of The Atlas Society extend our sincerest condolences to Frank's wife, Diana, and their sons, Daniel and David.

A Memorial Celebration of his life will take place at the Springhaven Club, Wallingford, PA, on January 5, 2013, at 11:30 AM.

Articles by Frank Bubb:

How Price Gouging Laws Make Hurricanes Worse

The Hidden Danger Of Social Security Privatization And How To Avoid It

Objectivist Studies monographs:

Rationality and the Psychology of Abstraction by Kenneth Livingston

Evidence and Justification by David Kelley

Reason and Value: Aristotle versus Rand by Roderick T. Long et al.

Is Virtue Only a Means to Happiness? by Neera K. Badhwar et al.

A Theory of Abstraction by David Kelley