In Memoriam: Temple Trustee Frank Baldino, Jr.
With deep sadness we learned this morning that Temple University Trustee Frank Baldino, Jr., passed away last night. Frank was a cherished member of the Board, a devoted Temple alumnus and a long-time supporter of the School of Medicine and the University. Frank was only 57 when he died.
We will remember Frank for his energy, commitment and creativity, which were the hallmarks of his professional and personal life. After graduating from Muhlenberg University, Frank came to Temple to study pharmacology and received his Ph.D. in 1980. He pursued postdoctoral study at the University of Pennsylvania and at Rutgers University before joining DuPont as a senior research biologist in 1982.
Frank was convinced that neuroscience was poised to move in new directions and founded Cephalon, Inc. in 1987. He led Cephalon from a privately held company to one of the largest publicly traded biotechnology companies in the United States, where he served as its chair and chief executive officer.
It is no surprise to anyone who knew Frank that even as his business thrived, he was thinking of ways that he could give back to Temple. In December 2001, he was elected to the Board of Trustees and has since served with distinction. Frank joined the School of Medicine’s Board of Visitors in 2003, and was its first chair, serving until 2007. We were repeatedly impressed with Frank’s energy and enthusiasm for Temple, particularly his passion for enhancing Temple’s reputation in the medical and business communities.
Frank’s absence will be a tremendous loss to our Board and the School of Medicine, where he was an adjunct professor of pharmacology, and the entire Temple University community. Most importantly, our thoughts are with Frank’s family at this very difficult time.
In sympathy,
Patrick J. O’Connor
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Ann Weaver Hart
President