John C. Fontaine

John (Jack) C. Fontaine "has been chairman of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation since 1994 and a member of its board since 1975. The Foundation devotes its resources to advancing the history, conservation, and enjoyment of European art, architecture, and archaeology from antiquity to the 19th century. The Foundation is also associated with The Kress Collection of more than 3,000 works of European art that were assembled by Samuel H. Kress and the Kress Foundation between 1927 and 1961, and donated to more than 90 museums in the United States, Puerto Rico, and France. Of the 3,000 works they gave 1,800 to the National Gallery of Art. The Kress Foundation has also funded many Gallery acquisitions and initiatives in conservation and fellowships at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts.

"Fontaine has been a member of the Gallery's Trustees' Council from 1984 to 2000 and from 2002 to present. He and his wife Betty, who reside in New York City, have supported such Gallery initiatives as the 50th Anniversary Gift Committee, the New Century Fund, and The Circle. They are collectors of American, Asian, and Latin American art and decorative objects.

"John Fontaine was president of Knight Ridder, a major newspaper company, and a member of its board of directors. Following his retirement from Knight Ridder, he rejoined the New York law firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed, where he had been managing partner and represented major companies in significant transactions, as well as advising them on governance and strategy.

"Fontaine is a member of the boards of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and the National Executive Service Corporation. Until recently he was vice chairman of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, served as chairman of the Florida Philharmonic, and was a board member of the Salzburg Seminar. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Harvard Law School."