UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State's Board of Trustees Friday (Jan. 18) recognized the passing of Trustee Emeritus J. Lloyd Huck, the retired chairman of the board of pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. and a former chairman of Penn State's Board of Trustees, who died Dec. 4 in State College at the age of 90.
Huck, who interrupted his studies at Penn State to serve in World War II, graduated in 1946 as the only chemistry major. After an early career as a research chemist, Huck then rose through the ranks at Merck to become the company's president and chairman of the board. Throughout his advancement, Huck and his wife, Dorothy Foehr Huck, continued their strong ties to Penn State, taking on a wide range of volunteer roles including serving on the Board of Trustees, as well as the Penn State Alumni Association. Additionally, Huck led the University's earliest private fundraising efforts in the 1980s and was a member of the steering committee for the Grand Destiny campaign, as well as fundraising chair for the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
The couple led by example in their personal philanthropy to Penn State. They established endowments in fields ranging from molecular biology to nutrition, leading to the creation of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. Their gifts and estate plans have benefited programs and projects across the University, including the Eberly College of Science, the College of Health and Human Development, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, The Smeal College of Business and University Libraries.
In their resolution recognizing him, board members expressed "sincere respect and deep appreciation of Trustee Emeritus John Lloyd Huck for his wisdom and steadfast commitment to the betterment of The Pennsylvania State University."
To read about Huck in more detail, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/63119.