Biographies

Paul R. Judy

Paul Ray Judy

Paul R. Judy

Name:
Paul R. Judy

Born:
February 18, 1931

Joined AGB:
1958

Primary Dept/Div:
Executive

Primary Office:
Chicago

As of 7/15/1977: Paul R. Judy was president, chief executive officer, a director and executive committee chairman of The Becker Warburg Paribas Group. He also served as chairman of A.G. Becker and was chairman of the executive committee and a director of all The Group’s subsidiaries. Paul joined the firm in Chicago as a corporate finance associate in 1958 and transferred to New York in 1962 where he developed and managed Eastern corporate finance activities until returning to Chicago as chairman of the executive committee in 1965. He was elected President of A.G. Becker & Co. Incorporated in 1968 and Chairman in 1973. Paul received a B.A. degree, cum laude, from Harvard College (1953) and an M.B.A. degree with high distinction from Harvard Business School (1957). Before joining the company, he served as a research assistant at Harvard Business School.

For more information about Paul’s role in Becker, see the Chronicle, About Paul R. Judy, and the Epilogue sections of this website.

Obituary: Naples Daily News

Paul R. Judy, a resident of Naples, passed away on February 24, 2024, at home.

Born in 1931, Paul grew up in Muncie, Indiana. At age 12 he started delivering newspapers, and he hardly stopped working for the next 80 years. Paul went to Harvard College on an NROTC scholarship, lettered in track and cross country, and graduated cum laude in 1953. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps (retiring as Captain) then attended Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar.

Upon graduation, Paul joined Chicago-based investment banking firm A.G. Becker & Company, helping build the corporate finance departments in Chicago and New York. In 1967, at age 37, he was elected company president, leading Becker’s significant tenfold growth, diversification, and recognition in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1974 he led the affiliation of Becker with leading European investment firms S. G. Warburg and Banque de Paribas. He stepped down as chief executive of the Becker Warburg Paribas Group in 1978 and retired at age 50, in 1981. Never one to fully retire, Paul served as an independent director of numerous public and private corporations into the early 1990s.

In 1954, Paul married the love of his life, Mary Ann Judy, in Charlottesville, Va. Their children are Carol Cronin (David), Hannah Judy Gretz, John Judy (Sanni), and Beth Judy. They have seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

An avid golfer from age 14, Paul had to his lifetime credit two holes-in-one, a double eagle and some sub-par rounds. He cherished memberships in Hole-in-the-Wall (Naples, FL), Old Elm (Highland Park, IL), and Sankaty Head (Siasconset, MA) golf clubs.

Historical research and writing was another passion. Paul researched, authored and published various pieces, including a monograph detailing the origins of Sankaty Head Golf Club and a biography of Nantucket golf legend Oswald Tupancy (“Tup”). He also published a comprehensive history of A. G. Becker and Company, https://agbecker.us/.

Symphonic music was another great love. Paul served as President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, then Life Trustee. In the early 1990s, his nonprofit Symphony Orchestra Institute explored radically different, more sustainable structures for orchestral organizations. From 2012 to his death, Paul practiced what he preached, helping transform the Chicago Philharmonic Society into a musician-governed organization.

Paul believed strongly in philanthropy, establishing scholarships, awards, and a family foundation. To honor our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, please consider a donation to the Chicago Philharmonic Excellence Fund, https://givebutter.com/cVrN5r

Other Photos:

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