William T. R. Fox

William Thornton Rickert Fox (January 12, 1912 – October 24, 1988), generally known as William T. R. Fox or W. T. R. Fox, was an American foreign policy professor and international relations theoretician at the Columbia University (1950–1980, emeritus 1980–1988). He is perhaps mostly known as the coiner of the term "superpower" in 1944. He wrote several books about the foreign policy of the United States of America and the United Kingdom (and its predecessor: the British Empire). He was a pioneer in establishing international relations, and the systematic study of statecraft and war, as a major academic discipline. National security policy and an examination of civil-military relations were also focuses of his interests and career. He was the founding director of Columbia's Institute of War and Peace Studies and held the position from 1951–1976.

Fox was born and grew up in Chicago. He attended Haverford College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a B.S. in 1932.

He then obtained his masters and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Chicago, in 1934 and 1940, respectively. There he was among a group of students, which also included V. O. Key, Jr. and David Truman, who studied with the pioneering political scientist Charles E. Merriam. He also studied international law under Quincy Wright.Harold Lasswell and his approach towards political analysis was the biggest influence on Fox there.

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