Harvard has long benefited from the remarkable efforts of loyal citizens whose dedication shapes the University in far-reaching ways. For more than six decades, John P. “Jack” Reardon AB ’60 has embodied this Harvardian spirit, contributing his signature wisdom and humility in service to the University in a multitude of roles before retiring, including director of admissions, director of athletics, and executive director of the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA), as well as a trusted advisor to Harvard presidents, provosts, deans, and governing boards.
“What makes Jack singular has never been about his titles,” says Harvard Treasurer Tim Barakett AB ’87, MBA ’93. “It’s his focus on people. He has an extraordinary ability to make you feel like the most important person in the room and then offer counsel that is both honest and wise. Generations of students, alumni, and University leaders are better for knowing him.”
Motivated by a deep love for his alma mater, Reardon applied his vast institutional knowledge and knack for building genuine relationships across Harvard to strengthen the University over his lengthy career, becoming a trusted mentor to University leaders, colleagues, students, and alumni. Always guided by asking “what’s best” for the University, he helped Harvard to build on its foundational strengths, navigate challenges, and embrace change.
To honor Reardon’s legacy, a group of alumni led by Barakett, Paul Finnegan AB ’75, MBA ’82, and Tom McKinley AB ’74 launched an extensive fundraising effort to establish an undergraduate scholarship, an athletics fund, and a professorship in his name. To date, they have raised more than $25 million for the funds—an unprecedented amount for a fundraising effort of this kind—with contributions from 101 households.
“Jack spent his entire career investing in others without ever seeking recognition for himself,” says Finnegan. “We felt it was important that the Harvard community recognize what he has meant to this institution and to so many of us personally. The response from donors has been overwhelming. So many want to honor Jack, which tells you everything you need to know about how people feel about him.”
A Scholarship Six Decades in the Making
While working at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Reardon was approached in 1965 to join Harvard’s admissions office. Even before accepting the role, he had already been taking time to visit local Boston high schools, seeking out those students who might not otherwise consider a Harvard education within reach because of financial circumstances. In 1971 he became director of admissions while also serving as Allston Burr Senior Tutor in Kirkland House. In 1975, he was named associate dean of admissions and financial aid for Harvard and Radcliffe.
“There has never been a better mentor than Jack—both for our office and for all of Harvard,” says Harvard College Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Bill Fitzsimmons AB ’67, EdD ’71, who joined Reardon in the admissions office in 1972. “He inspired generations of admissions officers and alumni to encourage excellent students from everywhere to come to Harvard.”
The establishment of the John P. Reardon Scholarship Fund extends Reardon’s longtime commitment to ensuring that all admitted students can attend and thrive at Harvard.
“The Reardon Scholarship Fund supports students, who were always closest to Jack’s heart,” adds Tom McKinley, one of the fundraising leaders. “Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not, and Jack has been an important part of Harvard’s legacy of providing access to education.”
Getting the Ball Rolling
In 1978, Reardon became the director of athletics, a role he held until 1990 (serving concurrently as associate vice president for University relations from 1988 to 1990). In that time, he transformed athletics at Harvard, overseeing a $30 million athletics construction and renovation program—turning older, outdated spaces into modern arenas, tracks, and training centers. He also expanded women’s sports, adding a dozen sports beyond those offered at Radcliffe at the time and increasing the budget more than tenfold.
The Jack Reardon ’60 Athletic Fund honors Reardon’s commitment to athletics, providing unrestricted funds to be used at the discretion of John D. Nichols ’53 Family Director of Athletics Erin McDermott to advance key priorities and a culture of excellence.
“There is no better person to honor with a fund in perpetual support of Harvard Athletics than Jack Reardon,” says McDermott. “Jack embodies and treasures all the lifelong benefits of being an athlete: work ethic, commitment, courage, resilience, and seeing the value in helping others get better. This fund allows us to continue Jack’s great leadership and carry forward those values for future generations of Harvard student-athletes.”
Investing in Teaching and Discovery
Reardon’s influence also extended deeply into the classroom, where he championed faculty who challenged students to think in new ways and pushed the University to invest in outstanding teaching and research. The new professorship in his name underscores the conviction that one of Harvard’s greatest strengths lies in the people who teach and mentor its students.
The inaugural John P. Reardon Jr. Professorship will be held by Adam Cohen AB ’01, a professor of chemistry and chemical biology and of physics whose team has unveiled a way to map the molecular underpinnings of how learning and memories are formed. This groundbreaking technique is expected to offer insights that could usher in new treatments for neurological disorders such as dementia.
“The creation of this professorship is a fitting tribute to Jack Reardon, who gave so much of himself to the University,” says Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra. “In addition to being a brilliant scientist, Adam is an engaging and supportive teacher whose passion mirrors Jack’s commitment to empowering students and challenging them to see and think differently.”
A Lifelong Champion of Alumni and Harvard
Reardon capped off his Harvard career with a 25-year tenure as executive director of the HAA, during which he became a key advisor to Harvard’s leaders and a central figure in University fundraising. His trademark warmth and the enthusiasm he inspires among alumni proved essential to those efforts, as he drew on the deep relationships across Harvard that he formed earlier as a tutor, admissions officer, and recruiter to connect and mobilize the University’s global community.
After retiring from this role, he continued providing his institutional memory and people skills on Harvard’s behalf—advising on everything from fundraising efforts and athletics to governance and alumni relations.
“Across decades in a community that’s all about learning, I’m hard pressed to think of anyone who’s taught me more about Harvard and its people than Jack,” says Marc Goodheart AB ’81, JD ’85, secretary of Harvard’s governing boards from 1998 until 2025. “And I know there are countless people who feel the same.”
In honor of Reardon’s legacy of impact, the HAA’s annual awards for distinguished alumni volunteer service to the University will henceforth be known as the John P. Reardon Jr. Alumni Awards. This year’s recipients will be named in the fall.
“Jack has shaped the alumni community through his deft leadership, wise counsel, sound judgment, and unparalleled gift for enabling volunteers and alumni to engage and connect with one another and the University in meaningful and impactful ways,” says HAA Executive Director Sarah Karmon. “Renaming the alumni awards for him will serve as a reminder for generations to come of the value of alumni engagement and connection with the University.”