John Templeton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sir John Marks Templeton (born 29 November 1912) is a stock investor, businessman and philanthropist. American born, he renounced his US citizenship in 1968 and has dual naturalized Bahamian and British citizenship. He lives in The Bahamas.

[edit] Biography

Templeton was born in the town of Winchester, Tennessee. He attended Yale University, pledged the Zeta Psi Fraternity and was selected for membership in the Elihu secret society. He graduated with a degree in economics in 1934 as a top scholar in his class. He was a Rhodes Scholar to Balliol College, University of Oxford from which he graduated with a M.A. degree in law. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter-holder.

He married the former Judith Folk in 1937 and the couple had three children; John, Jr, Anne and Christopher. She died in February 1951. He married Irene Reynolds Butler in 1958. She died in 1993.

He is a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church. He was a trustee on the board of Princeton Theological Seminary, the largest Presbyterian seminary, for 42 years and served as its chair for 12 years.

Templeton became a billionaire^{[citation needed]} by pioneering the use of globally diversified mutual funds. He established the Templeton Growth, Ltd. (investment fund) in 1954.

Templeton became a philanthropist, he established

• the John Templeton Foundation;
• the Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities in 1972.
• the Templeton Library in Sewanee, Tennessee.

He was created a Knight Bachelor in 1987 for his philanthropic efforts.

[edit] External links

• John Templeton Foundation :: Sir John Templeton :: Biography
• Sir John Templeton: Supporting Scientific Research for Spiritual Discoveries by Robert L. Herrmann, John Templeton Press.