(1960- )
A squash player, parent and leader, John Fry has played an unprecedented role in transforming squash in Philadelphia and around the nation. When he became president of Drexel University in 2010, he created a varsity program and renovated the courts. A year later he brought the U.S. Open to Philadelphia, restoring the event’s premier position on the international stage and hosting it from 2011-2019 at Drexel’s Daskalakis Athletic Center. In 2013 Fry played a prominent role in the decision for the U.S. Open to offer prize-money parity, a first for a major squash tournament and a groundbreaking move that led to pay parity in all major squash events, providing an impetus for the merger of the women’s and men’s pro tours. He served on US Squash’s board from 2010 to 2017 and was chair of the board from 2013 to 2017, during which time he articulated the plan for a national squash center on Drexel’s campus. Fry’s dynamic, visionary leadership led directly to the Arlen Specter US Squash Center becoming a reality.
