Bob Harlan

Last updated

Bob Harlan
Bob Harlan at the White House.jpg
Harlan in 1997
Green Bay Packers
Position:Chairman Emeritus
Personal information
Born: (1936-09-09) September 9, 1936 (age 88)
Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Career information
High school: Dowling Catholic (Des Moines)
College: Marquette University
Career history
As a staff member / executive:
Marquette University
  • Sports Information Director (1959–1965)
St. Louis Cardinals (baseball)
  • Director of Community Relations (1966–1968)
  • Director of Public Relations (1968–1971)
Green Bay Packers
  • Assistant General Manager (1971–1975)
  • Corporate General Manager (1975–1981)
  • Assistant to the President – Corporate (1981–1988)
  • Executive Vice President of Administration (1988–1989)
  • President and CEO (1989–2006)
  • CEO (2006–2008)
  • Chairman Emeritus (2008–present)
Career highlights and awards

Robert Ernest Harlan (born September 9, 1936) is an American former football executive who served as the president of the Green Bay Packers for 19 years. Harlan also held the titles of chairman of the board and chief executive officer for the Packers. He was a graduate of Marquette University, where he later served as the Sports Information Director for six years. After his tenure at Marquette, Harlan worked for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team for five years in community and public relations. In 1971, he was hired by the Packers as assistant general manager. For the next 18 years, Harlan worked in different positions in the front office for the Packers before being promoted to executive vice president in 1988. In 1989, after the retirement of Robert J. Parins, Harlan was elected as the Packers' ninth president, a position he held until 2008. Harlan became the first team president whose background was primarily in football; all previous presidents of the Packers were local civic leaders or businessmen in the Green Bay, Wisconsin-area.

Contents

During his tenure as president, the Packers achieved a number of successes both on and off the field. Harlan led a stock sale and advocated for a county sales tax to raise funds for renovations to Lambeau Field, oversaw the construction of the Don Hutson Center, a new training area next to Lambeau Field, and moved all Packers home games back to Green Bay (from 1933 to 1994, the Packers split their home games between Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wisconsin). On the field, Harlan hired Ron Wolf to be the team's new general manager. Wolf led a renaissance of the Packers' on-field performance with an instrumental trade for quarterback Brett Favre and the signing of free agent Reggie White. These successes culminated in the Packers winning Super Bowl XXXI, the team's first championship since Super Bowl II. In 2008, Harlan resigned the position of president and CEO and was succeeded by Mark Murphy. As of 2023, he still sits on the Packers' board of directors and holds the title of Chairman Emeritus.

Early life

Bob Harlan was born on September 9, 1936, in Des Moines, Iowa. [1] Harlan's father, Sy Harlan, was president of the Bruce Motor Freight Co. [2] As a child, Harlan had a noted interest in the Green Bay Packers. [3] At the age 17, he won a junior golf championship in his hometown. [4] He was a graduate of Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines in 1954 and then attended Marquette University where he graduated in 1958 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. [5] [6] Almost 40 years later, he also received an honorary degree from Marquette. [7] After graduation, Harlan served a six-month tour in the United States Army. [8]

Career

United Press

After college and the Army, Harlan desired to become a sportswriter. He briefly took a position with the United Press service in Milwaukee. [6] He wrote about a number of topics ranging from sports to current events. [9] [10] [11] [12]

Marquette University

Harlan accepted a position as sports information director for his alma mater, Marquette University, in 1959. [7] He served in that capacity until 1965, although the years at Marquette were challenging. During his tenure, the football and track and field were removed from the university's sports program, and the basketball team was not very successful. [6]

St Louis Cardinals

In 1966, Harlan accepted a job with the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team as the director of community relations. Two years later, he was promoted to director of public relations. [8] In those roles, he gave many speeches and during the offseason took part in "The Cardinal Caravan", a tour across six states focused on increasing support for the club. [6] The Cardinals won the 1967 World Series against the Boston Red Sox in Harlan's second full season in his role. [13] [14]

Green Bay Packers

Harlan, Bob; Hoffman, Dale (2007). Green and Golden Moments: Bob Harlan and the Green Bay Packers. Stevens Point, Wisconsin: Kci Sports Publishing. p. 258. ISBN   978-0-97587-698-5.

References

Citations

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  3. 1 2 Broeg, Bob (April 15, 1971). "Harlan And Lovelace Realize Dreams". St. Louis Post-Dispatch (clipping). p. 2C. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Bob Harlan Takes Junior Golf Title". The Des Moines Register (clipping). August 15, 1953. p. 11. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
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  10. Harlan, Bob (July 15, 1959). "Say Killer Could See in Dark". Baraboo News Republic (clipping). United Press. p. 3. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  11. Harlan, Bob (May 4, 1959). "Hypnosis Used by Many Dentists". Baraboo News Republic (clipping). United Press. p. 7. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
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Bibliography

Bob Harlan
President, Green Bay Packers
In office
1989–2006