The beloved faculty member was known for his “intelligence, passion and commitment to students,” and for making “accounting and tax fun.”
When Jack Angel, associate professor emeritus of accounting and law, received an outstanding teaching award from the New York CPA association in 2020, he thanked Adelphi for its support—and “most importantly, the students who inspired me over my 40 years of teaching.”
The University and its alumni are mourning the recent death of the beloved faculty member. Angel began teaching while he was also starting his own accounting business. He made teaching a long-term role after he found how much he enjoyed working with students.
“It was rewarding in ways that making money was not,” Angel told the Trusted Professional, the newspaper of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accounts (NYSSCPA), which had given him several honors over the years. “My daily presentations in my class were informed by what I did in my practice.”
His students were glad that he chose to keep teaching as part of his life.
A Favorite Professor
“My favorite professor was Jack Angel,” said Mark Davis ’85, now an accountant at Deloitte. “Jack was great and very comforting. He made accounting and tax fun, which is hard to do.”
Rachel Foley ’19, MBA ’20, got to know Angel while taking courses on federal taxation, noting “his intelligence, passion and commitment to students.”
She said, “I will always admire Professor Angel most for teaching students about the real world and sharing his own personal insight, rather than lecturing on about a perfect world that is depicted by a textbook. It is easy to say that the impact Professor Angel has had on students is everlasting.”
An Esteemed Colleague
“Jack Angel will always hold a special place in Adelphi’s history and in the lives of countless students and professors he impacted during his 40-year career,” said President Christine M. Riordan. “I am incredibly grateful for his dedicated service to our University’s mission.”
MaryAnne Hyland, PhD, dean of the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, lauded not only Angel’s dedication to students but also his service in the Faculty Senate and its finance committee, along with his support of the faculty union and University diversity initiatives.
“He brought the Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession (COAP) program to Adelphi,” Dr. Hyland said, referring to the NYSSCPA program that was sponsored by Adelphi for many years. “COAP provides an opportunity for high school students who may not have been aware of accounting careers to learn about the field. Professor Angel also was awarded the Dr. Emanuel Saxe Outstanding CPA in Education Award by the NYSSCPA in 2020, which is a testament to the outstanding teacher that he was.”
A Professional with a Sense of Humor
Angel earned his Master of Science in Taxation from C.W. Post University and a Bachelor in Business Administration, Accounting, from Baruch College. Before beginning his academic career and private practice, he worked for the Internal Revenue Service. He made presentations and published several articles in professional outlets, including The CPA Journal, Issues in Accounting Education, and Accountant Magazine. Angel continued in the accounting firm he founded with a colleague, Fuentes & Angel. He retired from Adelphi in 2021.
“Right from the day I joined the business school at Adelphi nearly 20 years ago, Jack had been a friend to me who always managed to make me and my colleagues laugh with his tax-related jokes,” said Ganesh Pandit, DBA, professor and chair of the Department of Accounting and Law. “Not only was he an expert tax accountant but also a friendly man who always kept his office door open and was ready to listen and help if needed. The Adelphi community will always remember him for his active involvement in various matters related to the faculty.”