Anne Cox Chambers
Anne Cox Chambers | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 December 1919 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | 31 January 2020 (aged 100) |
| Occupation(s) | Businesswoman, diplomat, philanthropist |
| Years active | 1974–2020 |
| Known for | United States Ambassador to Belgium (1977–1981); co-management of Cox Enterprises |
Anne Beau Cox Chambers (December 1, 1919 – January 31, 2020) was a prominent American businesswoman, diplomat, and philanthropist. She held the position of United States Ambassador to Belgium between 1977 and 1981. Alongside her sister Barbara Cox Anthony, she co-managed the family-owned enterprise Cox Enterprises, a privately held media conglomerate, for over three decades. In September 2014, Forbes estimated her net worth at $16.1 billion.
Early life
Born in Dayton, Ohio, Cox was the daughter of James M. Cox, a newspaper publisher and the 1920 Democratic presidential candidate, and his second wife, Margaretta Parker Blair. Her education included attendance at Hacienda Del Sol School for Girls in Tucson, Arizona, Miss Porter’s School located in Farmington, Connecticut, and Finch College in New York.
Career
Following the passing of their brother James M. Cox ("Jim Jr.") in 1974, Chambers and her sister Barbara Cox Anthony assumed majority control of the family business. That same year, Chambers was appointed chairwoman of Atlanta Newspapers while Anthony took leadership of Dayton Newspapers. Garner Anthony, Barbara’s husband, became the administrative head of Cox Enterprises—a significant media corporation with holdings in newspapers, television, radio, and cable. In 1988, Anthony’s son James Cox Kennedy was named chairman and CEO; Chambers maintained her role as director and key advisor involved in daily management.
During President Jimmy Carter’s administration from 1977 to 1981, Chambers served as U.S. ambassador to Belgium. Throughout the 1980s, she held a directorship at The Coca-Cola Company and was notably the first woman in Atlanta appointed as a bank director at Fulton National Bank. Additionally, she was a pioneer as the first female member on the board of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
Philanthropy
Chambers was deeply engaged in supporting cultural and educational initiatives with an emphasis on arts and global affairs. Her board memberships included institutions such as the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta Historical Society, Woodruff Arts Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pasteur Foundation, and Whitney Museum of American Art. In recognition of her contributions, she was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003 and received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Oglethorpe University in 1983. Following her diplomatic tenure in Belgium, she earned the French Legion of Honour.
High Museum of Art
Her association with the High Museum of Art began in 1965 when she played a key role in founding the Forward Arts Foundation, an essential fundraising organization for the museum. During the early 1980s, she acted as honorary chairperson for the campaign that financed the construction of the museum’s Richard Meier–designed facility. In 2006, Chambers orchestrated a collaboration between the High Museum and Paris’s Louvre for the "Louvre Atlanta" exhibition.
In recognition of her enduring dedication, the museum named a wing after Chambers in 2005 as part of its expanded complex.
Personal life and death
Chambers married twice: initially to Louis G. Johnson with whom she had two daughters named Katherine and Margaretta; later in 1955 to Robert William Chambers with whom she had a son, James.
She passed away peacefully from natural causes at her residence in Atlanta on January 31, 2020, aged 100. Congressman Carter from Georgia honored her legacy in the Congressional Record on February 11, 2020.