Respected Lawyer, Calvert Alumnus Francis J. Carey, Jr. ’38 Honored with Portrait in Middle School

Frank – along with brother William “Bill” Polk Carey ’42 – received his earliest education on Tuscany Road, where he learned the fundamental study skills that would contribute to an impressive career in law, philanthropy, and finance.

 

Hanging in the Luetkemeyer House wing of the Middle School, Frank’s portrait will continue to inspire Calvert students as they walk to and from class, books clasped in their arms.

 

“Frank Carey was a proud Calvert alumnus who firmly believed in the School’s pursuit of excellence and focus on elementary education. He and his brother Bill credited their days at Calvert School with providing the vital lessons that prepared them for lifelong success,” said Frank Carey’s grandson, William Polk Carey II, who is Chairman and President of the W. P. Carey Foundation and a Senior Vice President at W. P. Carey Inc.

 

After graduating from Calvert, Frank attended Gilman School and the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned both undergraduate and law degrees. Mr. Carey also completed executive programs in corporate finance and accounting at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and the Wharton School. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1945, attaining the rank of lieutenant junior grade before returning home to Philadelphia to practice law at Reed Smith LLP.

 

Following an accomplished law career, Frank served as President of W. P. Carey Inc., a successful real estate investment firm founded by Bill, and eventually as President and Chairman of the W. P. Carey Foundation, a leading supporter of educational institutions, especially business and law schools.

 

For 25 years, Frank’s portrait – painted by esteemed American artist William Draper – was displayed in the W. P. Carey Inc. headquarters in Rockefeller Plaza. Now, it becomes a long-term fixture of Francis J. Carey Hall, the Middle School named in Frank’s honor.

 

“There’s no doubt that Frank and his family have made an incredible contribution to the life of this school. I am so grateful for the concerted efforts of Dr. Earl Galleher, the W. P. Carey Foundation, and W. P. Carey Inc. for making this possible,” said Head Master Andrew Holmgren.

 

Dr. Earl P. Galleher Jr., a retired Baltimore urologist and Frank’s longtime friend, said that students may learn a lot from Frank’s story and charitable actions.

 

“They could be inspired by him and Bill for what they have done,” he said. “Their very hard work ethic led to great success, and then it benefitted so many institutions, like Calvert, Gilman, Hopkins, and others.”

 

Dr. Galleher, who was instrumental in bringing the portrait to Calvert’s halls, met and became friends with Frank when they both attended Gilman School, which the Carey brothers’ paternal grandmother founded. Their friendship spanned more than 75 years, and they remained close until Frank’s death in 2014.

 

“I think he would be very pleased to know that his portrait hangs at Calvert School. In fact, I know he would be,” Dr. Galleher said. “It means a great deal to me to know that he is remembered here because of all that he – and Bill – did for Calvert.”

 

In 2003, the W. P. Carey Foundation generously donated $3 million to help establish and endow Calvert’s Middle School, which now bears Frank’s name. Later, in 2018, the foundation also generously provided $3.5 million – the School’s largest single gift – to endow Calvert’s Lower School.

 

That year, the School renamed the building in honor of Bill, who passed away in 2012 – and these contributions to Calvert’s history mark just a few of the Carey family’s philanthropic acts.

 

The W. P. Carey Foundation, which has strong ties to Baltimore and a deeply rooted interest in education, has also given to Gilman School, establishing the Francis J. Carey, Jr. Lectures and the W. P. Carey College Counseling Center, the Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland, and University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, among other institutions.

 

The organization has also established the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University and the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, which was founded by Frank and Bill’s maternal grandfather, John S. Armstrong.

 

For a complete list of the Carey family’s contributions to education and other philanthropic subjects, click here.