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MUSEUM NEWS
In Memoriam : MoAF Trustee Verne Sedlacek
The Board of Trustees and staff of the Museum of American Finance mourn the passing of Trustee Verne Sedlacek , who died suddenly while on vacation on December 10 , 2021 at the age of 67 . An active and valued member of the MoAF Board since 2015 , Verne led several committees , including Governance and Strategic Planning .
“ Verne was a great person and a tremendously supportive Board member ,” said MoAF President David Cowen . “ Our staff had a particular fondness for him as well , as he always treated them with the utmost respect .”
Verne graduated from Princeton University in 1967 with a degree in Economics . Upon graduation , he was employed in the Audit Division of Arthur Andersen & Co ., while simultaneously studying Accounting at the New York University Graduate School of Business . After working with investment and Wall Street firms as clients at Arthur Andersen , Verne entered the world of investment management when he was hired in 1983 by Harvard Management Company , which manages Harvard University ’ s endowment . He worked there for 15 years , ultimately serving as CFO and executive vice president .
In 1998 , Verne was hired as president of John W . Henry & Company , an investment management business . In 2003 , he became the president and CEO of Commonfund , a not-for-profit organization providing investment management , advisory and consulting services to non-profit institutions . Verne was highly respected in the investment and endowment management fields for his insights and ability to identify and anticipate important trends affecting those industries .
In 2013 , the National Association of College and University Business Officers awarded Verne the Rodney H . Adams Endowment Award for his outstanding individual contributions to professional development activities in the area of university endowment and investment management . He was a steadfast believer in the power of philanthropic giving , responsible management and altruistic investment to ensure and improve the accessibility and quality of education for current and future generations .
At the time of his death , Verne was a senior fellow with the M . J . Murdock Charitable Trust in Vancouver , WA , on the investment committee for the William Penn Foundation and on the Dean ’ s
Advisory Board of the Ancell School of Business at Western Connecticut State University . In addition to being a trustee of the Museum of American Finance , he was also a member of the boards of the Thrivent Mutual Fund Complex and Valparaiso University . He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege to know him .
6 FINANCIAL HISTORY | Winter 2022 | www . MoAF . org