DOB/DOD: March 15, 1900 (Lewiston, Pennsylvania) – February 3, 1943; 42 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married Isadore G. Hurlbut (1896-1982) on January 15, 1923
NOTE: Reverend Isadore Hurlbut Fox carried on their ministry for 40 years after Lieutenant Fox’s death, and was the American Legion Auxiliary National Chaplain in 1970.
CHILDREN: One son, Wyatt R. [USMC 1942-1946] (1924-1996). One daughter, Mary E. Fox Murray (1928-2023).
SCHOOLS: Studied at the Moody Bible Institute, where he met his wife. Received a B.A. from Illinois Wesleyan University, Class of 1931. Boston University School of Theology, Class of 1934.
ORDAINED: Ordained on June 10, 1934.
PARISHES SERVED: Downs, Illinois; and Rye, New Hampshire.
ENLISTMENT: George Fox, born George Cassatta, lied about his age and joined the Army at 17 years old to serve in World War I. He was a medical corps assistant in the ambulance corps. After Pearl Harbor, at the age of 41, he felt the need to serve again. He was appointed on July 24, 1942, and entered active duty on August 8, 1942, the same year his son enlisted in the Marine Corps, and was sent to Chaplain School at Harvard. Upon completion of Chaplain School, George was assigned to the 411th Coast Artillery Battalion. He was not happy there and felt he needed to be near the battlefield. He wrote many letters requesting a transfer and was finally ordered to Camp Myles Standish, Taunton, Massachusetts, for special assignment on January 3, 1943.
SERVICE NUMBER: O-485690
UNIT: 411th Coast Artillery Battalion
FAMILY: Born to Charles J. (1867-1947) and Mary C. Reichert Cassatta (1867-1952). One sister, Gertrude E. Cassatta Turchetta (1895-1990). Three brothers, Dominic J. (1893-1961), Engelbert M. (1896-1946), and Francis L. (1904-1946).
ADDITIONAL FAMILY: Adopted by Percy L. Fox (1878-1937) and Florence L. Corssett Fox (1885-1933). Three sisters, Florence Fox Petersen (1906-2000), Audrey L. Fox Anderson (1908-1997), and Grace M. Fox (1917-2004). Four brothers, Charles F. (1909-1974), George O. (1913-2000), David L. (1915-1983), and Paul H. (1921-1958).
OTHER SERVICE: George Fox ran away from home at age 17 and lied about his age to enlist in the Army, joining the Ambulance Corps at Camp Newton Baker in Texas under the name George J. Cassatta. He served during World War I, earning a Silver Star, Purple Heart, and French Croix de Guerre. Following the war, he completed high school and, in 1919, changed his name to George Arnold Lansing. He was subsequently adopted by Percy L. and Florence L. Fox and again changed his name to George Lansing Fox in 1920. [valor.militarytimes.com]
From Moody Bible Institute. Contributed by Corie Zylstra, Digital Collections Librarian & Archivist; Crowell Library & Archives
Thank you for reaching out! I found that George Fox and Isadore Hurlbut did not attend MBI for very long. George attended from April to December of 1923, and Isadore from September through October of 1923. In 1950, a request for information on George was made, and that correspondence is attached. Unfortunately, we no longer have the actual student records for them. Also attached are a couple [of] photos of the main campus buildings from the 1920s. The 153 Building contained a lecture hall, library, dining room, men’s housing, and offices. The MBI Auditorium was formerly the Moody Church and used as a lecture hall.
Illinois Wesleyan University Class of 1931
George Fox doesn’t appear in the yearbook for his graduating class, but is mentioned as “Senior Class Members (Not Pictured).”
In the Fall 2007 issue of the university magazine, this was written: “At Illinois Wesleyan, the story is remembered in the Memorial Center’s meditation room, dedicated to Fox and to the other IWU students and alumni who died in World War II. The late-afternoon sunlight filters through the small room’s stained glass window, softly illuminating the chaplain’s photograph. The face beneath his Army hat portrays strength and kindliness in equal measures.”
And in the Summer 2015 Digital Commons regarding a Meditation Room on campus: “The space is located on the second floor of the Memorial Center in what was for decades called the Room of Remembrance. “It’s a room with a rich history,” University Chaplain Reverend Elyse Nelson Winger said at the dedication. She noted the room — which generations of students have used for meditation, prayer, study of religious texts, and even to get engaged — included the names of IWU students who perished in the world wars memorialized on a brass plaque, which will be reinstalled in the north entry to the Memorial Center. The Room of Remembrance also included a tribute to four chaplains, including IWU alumnus George L. Fox. The four chaplains gave their lives in the World War II sinking of the United States Army Transport (U.S.A.T.) SS Dorchester, so that other soldiers could escape.
Research Files: The Meditation Room on August 7, 2014, from blog.iwu.edu
By Meg Miner
Not much is known about Illinois Wesleyan’s Meditation Room; in fact, many people are unaware of its existence. The purpose of this room is all in the name: a place for quiet reflection and meditation. It is located on the second floor of the Memorial Center, up the stairs from the Davidson room.
It is a small space filled with six chairs, an altar, several crosses (both big and small), a prayer kneeler, paper and note cards for writing notes and prayers, several Bibles, rosaries, and a large plaque dedicated to the Wesleyan students who died in combat during World War II. It is interesting to note that the Meditation Room was not part of the original plans for the Memorial Center. While the building was constructed in 1947, the Meditation Room was not added until about 10 years later, during the 1957-1958 school year, after students began requesting a space for quiet meditation. It is well-known that Illinois Wesleyan began as a Methodist institution, so it is somewhat surprising to see that students requested a non-denominational meditation room. It may have begun as nondenominational, but it is clear that after time its purpose has shifted from a small war memorial to a small church. Many people have found a sanctuary in this room. On the door, there is a sign-in sheet where you can see how often the room gets used. People, both students and alumni, have written notes on it, saying how thankful they were for the space.
It is unclear as to when most of the items in the room were added or by whom. The earliest evidence Wesleyan has is a photo taken during the 1960s of the altar and a cross. According to a 1954 Argus article was “furnished by the Lee McClure family.” At that time, there was only the altar, a cross, and the chairs. As for the rest of the items, such as the large crosses, it is uncertain. There are six chairs placed against both sides of the room that were donated by Mr. and Mrs. Lee McClure in honor of their son, Bruce McClure, a student at Wesleyan, who died in combat in 1945.
Each chair has a small plaque on them to commemorate him. Bruce came to Wesleyan in 1942 and was enlisted that following spring. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta.
It is uncertain whether or not every item in the room was donated by the McClure family.
There is a large plaque that is placed on the wall with the names of the students who fought and died in combat. The plaque is titled, “Illinois Wesleyan University Students Who Made the Supreme Sacrifice in World War Two.”
| “The Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lee McClure, in Memory of their Son, Bruce, 1924-1945.” Photo Taken by Melissa Mariotti |
Among those names is George Lansing Fox, to whom the room is now dedicated. There is a small collage dedicated to him and “The Four Chaplains.” George L. Fox graduated from Illinois Wesleyan in 1932 and served in World War I, receiving many prestigious awards, such as the Silver Star, Purple Heart, the fourragère Croix de Guerre, and the fourragère. He enlisted in World War II as a chaplain and deployed on a ship called the USS Dorchester.
In 1943, the SS Dorchester was torpedoed by a German submarine. Fox was one of four chaplains on the ship. The others were Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish. After realizing that there were not enough life vests on the ship, the four chaplains gave up their own so others could survive. They were last seen kneeling on the deck of the ship in prayer as it sank. In 1951, President Truman dedicated a chapel at Temple University, Pennsylvania, the Chapel of the Four Chaplains, and made a commemorative postage stamp in their honor.
American Legion Department of Vermont
George Fox was an active member of The American Legion. His last assignment was pastoring a church in the mill town of Gilman, Vermont, where he joined Walter G. Moore Post 41 [now Moore-Fox Post 41]. He served as historian and chaplain for the American Legion Department of Vermont, and was in charge of the wreath-laying at the state’s 1939 Armistice Day ceremony. His wife, the Reverend Isadore Fox, was the first ordained minister to serve as the American Legion Auxiliary’s national chaplain (1970-1971). She also served as a unit president.
Then-Vermont National Executive Committeeman Simon G. Godfrey wrote the appendix, where he shared among his memories of Fox: “During my term as Department Commander in 1939 and 1940, he served as my Department Chaplain and did a great deal in helping to make my administration a success. At the beginning of World War II, he again put on a uniform, a chaplain’s uniform, for his country. As Department Chaplain, Fox was in charge of the wreath-laying at the state’s 1939 Armistice Day ceremony. Records indicate that he was also the department historian at one point. [legion.org]
Sign in front of the East Concord Methodist Church, 3021 Oregon Road, East Concord, Vermont.
George Fox Memorial Chapel, 52 Elm Street, Gilman, Vermont
In 2025, Vermont Governor Phil Scott announced that with grant money, a local nonprofit will restore the 1924 George Fox Chapel, addressing safety and accessibility needs by replacing electrical systems, restoring windows, and installing an ADA-accessible lift. Once complete, the chapel will serve as a venue for concerts, educational programs, and community gatherings.
Memorial headstone in Arlington National Cemetery, 1 Memorial Avenue, Arlington, Virginia; Section MF, Grave 20-7. Photo from ancexplorer.army.mil.
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