As an undergraduate student at Lehigh, Tauck played lacrosse and served as president, vice president, treasurer and house manager of the Delta Upsilon fraternity, and was a member of the sophomore and junior class cabinets. Tauck joined his father’s tour company, Tauck Tours, in 1950 and spent his summers guiding guests through New England as a tour director.
After graduating from Lehigh with a degree in marketing, Tauck enlisted in the United States Air Force as a Lieutenant and was stationed in Germany for several years. He returned to Tauck Tours in 1956 as a tour operator and was named president of the company in 1958 when he was just 27 years old.
Tauck’s entrepreneurial spirit, sense of adventure and commitment to service and connection helped transform and grow the family business over the course of the next several decades. Today, Tauck, a Connecticut-based company, provides journeys for guests across seven continents in more than 100 destinations and 65 countries, and has been voted to Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards for 28 consecutive years.
Throughout his 75-year career in the travel industry, Tauck is credited with pioneering many innovations, such as heli-hiking in the Canadian Rockies and creating the “Yellow Roads of Europe” series that takes tourists on roads less traveled across Europe.
He grew the company’s services from its origins as a motorcoach company to a leading global travel operator providing motorcoach tours, limousine tours, small ship cruises and riverboat cruises. He prioritized service, quality and value in guest experiences, and enjoyed fostering connection with the customers he served.
A Philanthropic Legacy
Thanks to Tauck’s generosity, many Lehigh students have had the opportunity to participate in international internships and receive essential scholarship aid.
In 1995, Tauck established the Tauck Scholars Program Endowment Fund, which is composed of two endowment funds: the Tauck Scholarship and the Tauck Scholars Fund.
In 2025, the Tauck Scholars Program celebrated its 30th anniversary. For three decades, the transformative program has provided students in the College of Business with the opportunity to expand their world through once-in-a-lifetime experiences abroad. Tauck Scholars are able to understand the global nature of business and experience the world first-hand because of Tauck’s generosity. To date, Tauck scholarships have been awarded to more than 100 Lehigh Business students who participated in internships and educational programs.
In 2007, Tauck established the Arthur C. Tauck Chair in International Marketing and Logistics in the College of Business. He was also a generous supporter of the Business Innovation Building and is the namesake of the building’s Tauck Family Courtyard and Tauck Family Lobby.
He also established the Tauck International Marketing Fund and supported the Centennial Campaign, the construction of the Rauch Business Center, Lehigh Fund, Challenge Scholarship Fund and Lehigh men’s lacrosse.
Tauck was awarded the Lehigh New York Club’s L-in-Life Award in 1999, which is presented to exceptional alumni who have contributed significantly to the Lehigh community. He also earned the Alumni Award from the Alumni Association in 1989. He served as a keynote speaker at various Lehigh gatherings. Guided by a deep and enduring commitment to giving back, he participated in Lehigh phonathons, served on his 35th and 50th Reunion Fund Committees and was chairman of his 40th Reunion Fund Committee.
Beyond Lehigh, Tauck founded the Tauck Family Foundation in 1994 to foster a legacy of giving and community involvement. Today, the foundation supports communities that are most impacted by climate and environmental challenges to strengthen and maintain healthy, regenerative ecosystems and land use practices through education and engagement.
Tauck is survived by his wife, Ronni Tauck; his sister, Connie Wright; his former wife, Lee Tauck, and their five children; four step-children; as well as 21 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. His son, Peter Tauck ’79, is a member of the Lehigh family.
