Discover Fox

Across his life, Dr. Stanley Merves, Fox ’51, was many things: devoted husband, caring father and grandfather, and successful businessman.

As a graduate of the Fox School of Business with a degree in accounting, he was also a huge supporter of Temple University and its mission. Just ask his daughter. 

“Temple was so important to my father—he would tell you that Temple gave him the start that made his life,” Jennifer Merves Robbins says. 

“My father grew up poor in West Philadelphia and, while he was bright, his family was never going to be able to afford to send him to college. Temple gave him an opportunity to get an education and he knew studying at the business school was going to help him succeed.” 

Now, Merves Robbins is ensuring her father’s love for his alma mater and dedication to helping the next generation is preserved for years to come.  

From July 7 through Aug. 1, more than two dozen seventh graders from neighborhoods surrounding Temple University’s Main Campus participated in Stanley’s Sport Camp. The camp, in its first year, is an educational, wellness and athletics initiative made possible through a generous gift by Merves Robbins in honor of her father. 

The camp, run through a partnership between the university, Temple athletics, the Gilroy and Lillian P. Roberts Charitable Foundation and Heights Philadelphia, is financially supported through backing from Merves Robbins. As managing trustee at the Roberts Charitable Foundation, Merves Robbins ensures that funding is allocated to support the camp now and well into the future.  

Leaning into expertise and resources from a number of partners, the four-week camp focused on several key areas. 

In partnership with Heights Philadelphia, a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia dedicated to ensuring academic and career success for city youth, the campers spent their mornings in a classroom focusing on common core courses, life skills and learning about different professional paths.  

Afternoons at the camp were dedicated to wellness lessons and the importance of being active. Campers participated in activities with athletes, coaches and staff more than a dozen athletic programs at Temple.  

Temple Athletics was proud to aid in the success of the initiative. 

“The generosity of the Merves family continues to make a profound impact on Temple University and our broader community,” says Arthur Johnson, vice president and Debbie & Stanley Lefkowitz ’65 Director of Athletics.  

“Through Stanley’s Sport Camp, we are introducing young people to the energy and excellence on our campus while helping them learn the fundamentals of a wide range of sports from coaches across Temple Athletics. We are deeply grateful for our partnership with the Fox School of Business, and for the leadership of Jennifer Merves Robbins and Brian Robbins in helping bring this incredible program to life.”  

Additional key lessons in nutrition were provided through the “Vetri Cooking Lab,” led by famed Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri’s “Vetri Community Partnership.” 

“When building out this camp experience, I really asked myself what my dad would have wanted,” Merves Robbins says. “My dad cared greatly for the business school; he was a devout supporter of Temple Athletics, and he really loved the idea of helping young students find mentorship and development for their futures. 

“Through working with everyone involved in this camp, I believe we have successfully done that.” 

Her gift continues her family’s long-standing commitment to support Temple that first began with her father.  

His support for Temple and the Fox School has continued for many years and has included the establishment of the Stanley Merves Chair of Accounting and Information Technology, the Stanley Merves Fellowship position, and the Stanley Merves CPA Undergraduate Scholarship for distinguished accounting majors entering their first or second year at Temple.  

He has been inducted into the Fox School’s Accounting Alumni Hall of Fame, honored with the Musser Award for Alumni Achievement and received the F. Eugene Dixon Jr. Inspiration Award from Temple Athletics.  

“We are very grateful to the Merves family for their continued support of the Fox School and Temple,” says Chip Hunter, dean of the Fox School of Business. “This gift continues the Merves family’s commitment to making a real difference for the university and the communities around it.”  

And it’s not just external communities that benefit from this type of generosity.  

“Gifts like this accomplish a great deal,” Hunter says. “They give Fox an opportunity to collaborate with Temple Athletics. Together, we can honor the legacy of an alumnus and offer an educational opportunity for the next generation. This is a responsibility we take great pride in as the public university of Philadelphia.  

“It was no secret how much Dr. Stanley Merves loved our school and the university. We are honored to know how much he credited the Fox School for his accomplishments.” 

Merves Robbins is extremely pleased to see the camp’s success in its inaugural year. She knows her father would be overjoyed at the impact he continues to have on the Temple community. 

“One of the most wonderful things about this initiative is that it allows me to keep my dad’s spirit alive,” Merves Robbins says. “He was all about helping kids— especially ones growing up in Philadelphia—have the chance to find and pursue the educational opportunities that were afforded to him. He knew how important Temple’s role is in accomplishing that mission today. 

“This is something my dad would want and something he would be really, really proud of,” she continues. “I can feel him looking down and smiling, and that’s worth everything in the world to me.”