The son of wealthy businessman Seymour H. Knox, he owned a palatial home designed by C. P. H.

In 1917, as a passenger, he was in a crash landing in Buffalo of a seaplane piloted by a friend, and suffered a fractured skull, but he fully recovered.

He joined the F. W. Woolworth board in 1926 and was chairman from 1943 until reaching the mandatory retirement age forty-five years later in 1971.

He is best known for his 1962 addition to the Albright Art Gallery, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

Construction on the home began in 1924 and was a gift to the couple from Knox's mother, who lived nearby at 800 Delaware Avenue.

He was an avid polo player and led his Aurora team to the United States Championship in 1932, later touring South America, and winning a tournament in Europe.

Knox died on September 27, 1990, and was eulogized in Congress by U.S. Representative Bill Paxon.