Dear Members of the HMS and HSDM Community:
It is with great sadness that I write to reflect on the news of the death of Jack Connors, longtime member of the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, trustee of multiple Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and one of my most cherished advisors. Jack died at his home yesterday at age 82 as a result of pancreatic cancer.
Jack’s remarkable legacy as the co-founder and leader of Hill Holliday, one of the nation’s largest advertising firms, and his selfless service on the boards of more than two dozen corporate, civic, and nonprofit organizations has been well described in countless tributes in the Boston media. But Jack was special to the Harvard Medical School community and to me personally, so I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and applaud his tremendous service.
Boston magazine once referred to Jack as the “last king of Boston.” If true, his reign was of the most benevolent kind. Jack’s crowning characteristic was his persistent desire to serve the people of Boston most in need. For example, he built a summer camp on Long Island in Boston Harbor called Camp Harbor View, which morphed into an anti-poverty agency that launched a program to provide families experiencing significant financial struggles with a guaranteed monthly income.
Jack was particularly animated when advocating on behalf of Boston’s vibrant health care system. He supported the mission of Harvard Medical School with a keen and relentless enthusiasm — he was well aware that our students, faculty, staff, and trainees nourish the city’s ecosystem in both subtle and profound ways. A dedicated volunteer leader, consistent donor, and philanthropic advocate, he served on our board of fellows over the span of two decades and was honorary co-chair of the most recent HMS capital campaign.
In these capacities, he provided continuous, valued counsel to me as well as to three prior deans. I always treasured my meetings with Jack. A deeply spiritual Catholic, Jack frequently spoke of his great reverence for our community's efforts and his high esteem for the School.
Jack was close with countless HMS and affiliate faculty, who in turn looked to him for encouragement or a laugh in difficult times. Everyone claimed Jack as a close friend because he was generous with his attention, compassion, and spirit. That magnanimous nature was accompanied by a fierce intellect; he understood the complex dynamics of Boston’s major enterprises — health care, higher education, tech, finance, and politics — and navigated these communities with diplomacy and grace, ensuring their synchrony and synergy.
I last saw Jack a month ago at the grand opening celebration for the glorious new home of the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard. As always, he greeted me as “Dean” and made me feel special with his warm handshake and smile. Those of us who knew Jack will forever recall that smile.
Jack’s passing was swift and, I am told, peaceful. I am comforted by the fact that Jack was surrounded by loved ones during his final days and that he received the same degree of attention that he so vigorously paid to Boston and its nearest neighbors.
Our hearts go out to his wife, Eileen, and their children and grandchildren during this trying time.
Sincerely,
George Q. Daley
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
Harvard University