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n April 28, 2002, the Milton Academy Board of Trustees elected Franklin W. “Fritz” Hobbs president of the board. Fritz succeeds H. Marshall Schwarz, who assumed the presidency in 1997. Fritz’s experience as a graduate and a parent, as well as his 12 years of service as a board member, contribute to his deep awareness of Milton’s recent history, opportunities, challenges and successes. He enthusiastically endorses Milton’s character and mission, and has played an active role in numerous developments that have strengthened the School since he joined the board in 1990. “Milton is on the threshold of the Academy’s next historic moment,” Fritz said in assuming the presidency. “All the elements have come together in a fortuitous way: the right plan, strong leadership in the head of school and her administrative team, powerful and innovative faculty, and students of the highest caliber in every respect. I look forward to working on the fulfillment of these exciting goals and aspirations.”
consistently supported efforts to enhance student life, including building the Athletic and Convocation Center opened in 1998. He is a proponent of the boarding initiative: the plan that is bringing Milton a new student-faculty center; increased programming aimed at student life issues; a new recruitment campaign to increase boarding applicants; new dormitories; and equal numbers of boarding and day students at Milton. Head of School Robin Robertson is looking forward to working with Fritz in the coming years. “Fritz’s energy and drive to fulfill these initiatives inspires us all,” Robin said. “His strategic insight, broad experience, both in his career and as a board member, his incisive questions, and his great commitment are gifts to Milton. The long-term strength and stature of Milton Academy will certainly benefit from Fritz’s presidency.
As a trustee, Fritz has helped secure Milton’s leadership position among national independent schools during the tenures of three heads: Jerry Pieh, Ed Fredie, and, over the last three years, Robin Robertson. He has helped sustain the academic excellence at Milton; to that end he was an effective advocate, in 1995, of bringing Milton up to speed in technology by installing a campus-wide network infrastructure. From 1995–2000, Fritz was a member of the steering committee that planned and implemented the successful $50 million capital campaign, The Challenge to Lead. Always interested in the quality of student experience, Fritz
Fritz has long been interested in education. In addition to serving at Milton and on the Board of Overseers at Harvard, Fritz is a founding partner and longtime supporter of two broad-based educational initiatives. The first, Student Sponsorship, is an outstanding inner city school program. The second, Classroom Inc. provides public schools in a number of states with computers and software; currently 250 thousand students are using Classroom Inc. technology resources. Fritz’s two brothers, Matthew and William, were Milton Class of 1972 and 1967, respectively. His son, Nicholas, graduated from Milton in 1998. Several of Fritz’s nieces and nephews are Milton students: Hunter Stone, Christina Hobbs and Catherine Englis are members of Class II; Marland Hobbs and Williams B. Hobbs, Jr. enter Class IV this fall.
Fritz Hobbs ’65
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Fritz is Chief Executive of the investment bank, Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin. Houlihan Lokey is the global leader providing financial restructuring advice. The firm is also actively engaged in financial advisory services including mergers and acquisitions and financings. Prior to his current position, Fritz had been associated with Dillon Read since 1972, and he became CEO of that firm in 1994. Dillon Read was acquired by Swiss Bank Corporation in 1997, and shortly afterward the combined company merged with UBS. Fritz was appointed global head of corporate finance at Warburg Dillon Read, Inc. In 1999, he became chairman of Warburg Dillon Read, a position he held until March 2000.