John Templeton, Jr.

Who is John Templeton, Jr.?

John Marks Templeton, Jr. is the elder son of the stock investor, businessman and philanthropist John Templeton and serves as the Chairman and President of the John Templeton Foundation.

Templeton was born in New York City and graduated from Yale University, where he was a member of Elihu senior society, as was his father. He later earned a medical degree at Harvard Medical School, and then served as a physician in the U.S. Navy. In 1977, he went to work at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as a pediatric surgeon and trauma program director.

He retired in 1995, as chief of pediatric surgery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to become head of the John Templeton Foundation. His wife, Josephine is a pediatrician also.

Templeton is an evangelical Christian.

John Templeton is a substantial contributor to conservative causes. In 2008, Templeton donated $450,000 to the National Organization for Marriage and his wife, Josephine, contributed $100,000. In a Philadelphia Inquirer article it was asserted that the Templeton's had, between John and his wife, Josephine, donated $1 million toward the campaign to prevent gay marriage.