Frank D. Rich, Jr
1986
Born in Stamford in 1924, Mr. Rich attended Stamford High School, and then Cornell University and Princeton. He served as a Lieutenant in the Marine Corps in WWII and the in the Korean Conflict. After retuning home he went to work for F. D. Rich Company and worked there for many decades reshaping the Stamford skyline.
Frank D. Rich, Jr. was a long time Stamford resident that was deeply involved in his community through revitalizing many buildings in Stamford and through community service at various organizations in town. He was chairman of F. D. Rich Company which was the city’s primary urban developer. He was deeply involved in the arts and was the founder of the Stamford Center for the Arts, as president from 1978 to 1999 and as chairman from 1989 to his death. Rich also played an integral role in making UConn Stamford what it is today, as he was a trustee from 1974-1993 and the Rich Concourse at the campus was named after the family after he and his brother established the Rich Fund for the Connecticut Information Technology Institute. Mr. Rich was also involved with the Ferguson Library, serving as trustee, and received many awards such as the “University Award” from the University of Connecticut and the “Angel Award” from the International Society of the Performing Arts Administrators Conference at the UN and the 1992 “Connecticut Arts Award”. All of the above and along with many other community activities was the reason he was chosen for the Citizen of the Year Award.