New board chair chosen for Museum of the American Revolution

Morris W. Offit, a Wharton School graduate who chairs Offit Capital, a New York-based wealth management firm, has been elected as the third chairman of the board of the Museum of the American Revolution.

He succeeds retired Gen. John P. Jumper, who remains on the board. The museum’s founding chair was H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest, a former owner of The Inquirer, who died in 2018.

Offit first joined the museum board in 2016, and serves as head of the development committee.

“Morris has a genuine passion for preserving history, and continues to demonstrate his strong personal and professional commitment to our mission,” said Jumper, noting that the museum has already begun preparing for commemorations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

The museum, which opened in 2017, is approaching its third anniversary on April 19, 2020. Visitation numbers have surpassed 875,000, officials said.

» READ MORE: Read the full backstory of the museum and its most important artifacts, including George Washington's tent

Offit, an avid collector of antique American flags, said Jumper’s tenure as board chair was marked by “integrity, humility, and extraordinary service to our country and its history.”

Offit has had an active life with a variety of nonprofits. He is former board chair for his undergraduate alma mater, Johns Hopkins University. He is also former chair of the Jewish Museum in New York, and former chair and president of UJA-Federation of New York. He is a trustee of WNET and a former trustee of the New-York Historical Society.

After graduating from Hopkins in 1957, Offit studied at Wharton, receiving an MBA in 1960.