Frank A. Gunther, Jr.

Frank Gunther has long been considered a father figure to the National Aquarium. Baltimore City Mayor William Schaefer selected him as founding chairman of the Board of Directors—a role he held from 1977 to 1983, supervising the Aquarium’s construction phase and its first years of operation. In 1983, Frank was elected the first chairman of the National Aquarium Foundation, Inc., ensuring the stewardship of the endowment program and the organization’s financial stability. He served on the advisory board between 1986 and 1989, and served two terms on the board of governors between 1989 and 1995. Frank chaired the Board between 1991 and 1994, and was named director emeritus in 2000. Frank has been a valuable member of the building, corporate gifts, long-range planning and development committees. In addition to his work with the National Aquarium, Frank served as founding chair of the University of Maryland Medical System and the GBC Leadership. Among his many boards, he also served as president of Catholic Charities, chair of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maryland, and co-chair of the United Way campaign with his wife, Mary Ellen, in 1976. Frank and Mary Ellen reside in Ocean City, Maryland. He's the proud father of eight children.