Mr. Francis “Fay” Vincent Jr. ’56, former commissioner of Major League Baseball and former President of the school’s Board of Trustees, died on February 1, at the age of 86.

Mr. Vincent followed in the footsteps of his father, Mr. Francis Vincent Sr., class of 1927. During Mr. Vincent Jr.’s time at the school, he was captain of Varsity Football, on the board of the yearbook, and a member of the drama club.

Mr. Vincent was a strong student,

receiving honor roll recognition each year, studying French, Latin, and German, and graduating cum laude. After graduation, he attended Williams College on a full academic scholarship.

During his time at Williams, Mr. Vincent was injured in a tragic accident as a result of an ill-fated prank. Locked into his room by friends, he climbed out of a window and slipped, falling four floors and hitting a balcony on the way down. The accident paralyzed Mr. Vincent’s legs. Surgery eventually restored his movement, although he would require a wheelchair later in life.

Mr. Vincent graduated cum laude from Williams in 1960. He then went on to Yale Law School, receiving his degree in 1963.

Mr. Vincent started his professional career as a lawyer, working for several different law firms, most notably Caplan & Drysdale, a D.C.-based firm focused on corporate banking and securities. Over the course of his career, he also worked for Coca-Cola and Columbia Pictures.

In 1989, Mr. Vincent became Deputy Commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB), at the request of his friend, Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti. After Mr. Giamatti died suddenly in 1989, Mr. Vincent was elected by the owners to be the eighth commissioner of the MLB.

As commissioner, Mr. Vincent was immediately faced with a major crisis—responding to a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck San Francisco during the 1989 World Series. The series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s was halted by the earthquake, which damaged Candlestick Park, the home of the Giants.

The earthquake, which led to 63 deaths and an estimated six billion dollars of damage, led many to fear the series would be cancelled, but Mr. Vincent decided to resume play several weeks later, a decision that received widespread praise.

The rest of Mr. Vincent’s tenure was similarly challenging, as a contentious period full of lockouts and labor negotiations soured his relationships with owners. He resigned in 1992, after receiving a 18-9 vote of no confidence from the owners.

Mr. Vincent also served as director of Time Warner Inc., TriStar Pictures, and the Motion Picture Association.

He was a trustee at Carleton College and Williams College, was inducted into the Connecticut Sports Hall of Fame, and received a gold key from the Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance for his work within the MLB.

Mr. Vincent remained involved with Hotchkiss throughout his life. He was a class agent and was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1976. He served as President of the Board from 1985 to 1987.

During his time on the board, he formed the long-range planning committee, helped craft a new school mission statement, and assisted in the search and selection of Mr.Robert Oden as head of school in 1989.

Along with Mr. Dan Lufkin’49 P’80,’82,’88,’23, Mr. Vincent established the Lufkin-Vincent Travel Fellowship Program, which gave language teachers the opportunity to spend a year traveling and experiencing a foreign country.

He also established the Francis T. Vincent ’27 Scholarship, in honor of his father. The scholarship provided financial aid for students at the school.

In 1991, Mr. Vincent received the Alumni Award, the school’s highest honor for alums.

In his acceptance speech, he said, “As I stand here tonight, I think, of course, of the enormous influence this school has had on me. Here, in this gorgeous place, I grew and learned. I am deeply grateful to Hotchkiss and especially the faculty I knew here.”

In 2012, along with classmate Mr. John Barrett ’56, Mr. Vincent published The Gift of His Example: George van Santvoord of Hotchkiss. Known as “the Duke,” van Santvoord, class of 1908, was head of school at the school from 1926 to 1955.

The book tells the story of his impact on the school and includes anecdotes from students and faculty who knew the head of school well.

In his book, Mr. Vincent said, “The Duke had the greatest influence on me of anyone besides my family. He stood for the life of the mind, for excellence and civility.”

In an interview about the book in The Hotchkiss Magazine, Mr. Vincent said, “Van Santvoord stood tall for the nobility of each of us, while he also represented the very best traits of the learned gentleman. He preached to us the best qualities of our nature including charity toward all, honesty, and dedication to the work at hand, and we were inspired.”

Mr. Vincent is survived by his wife, Christine Clarke Vincent; children Anne, William, and Edward; stepchildren, Jake, Ned, and Nilla; his sisters, Dr. Joanna Vincent, and Barbara Vincent; and his grandchildren.