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Robert James Harlan? NO. 47 www.harlanfamily.org Fall 2015 HUMBLE HARLAN SERVES GREEN BAY WELL Bob Harlan walked the pavement of Green Bay, and the drafting of Aaron Rodgers and the elimination Wis., like a tireless politician in 2000. of Packer home games played in Milwaukee. Harlan stood outside factories at 5 a.m., shaking “He felt a responsibility with the Packers hands and trying to sway voters to approve a because it was a worldwide brand,” said his son, referendum to renovate historic Lambeau Field for the Kevin Harlan, who is a broadcaster for CBS Sports, Green Bay Packers. He went door to door in the Westwood One and the NBA on TNT. “They’ve got community, table to table in restaurants, trying to get this untouchable history.” people to listen to his pitch. Not everyone approved of seeing him. Some doors were shut in his face. When the votes were tallied Sept. 12, the half- cent sales tax—an event that would fund a $295 million project—passed by a 53 to 47 percentage. The decision would give the NCL’s smallest market team financial lifeblood while competing against franchises from places like Chicago, Dallas and New York. Harlan, a humble man who answered his own phone at work, used the sales job to the public to earn passage of the referendum. “The fans are the ones who own the team, we don’t,” Harlan said. Harlan, who was born in Des Moines, is the 219th member of the Des Moines Sunday Register’s Iowa Sports Hall of Fame. He can wear his success on his hands. Harlan, who is now chairman emeritus for the Packers, owns two Super Bowl rings and a 1967 St. Louis Cardinals Bob Harlan attended Dowling High School in World Series championship ring from his previous Des Moines when it was an all-boys’ school. job. He dreamed of becoming a sportswriter for The Harlan served for 19 years as the president of Des Moines Register, working summers at the the Packers, a position akin to a chief owner of the newspaper, but he ended up having a career with pro team, which is held by shareholders. teams instead. His accomplishments with Green Bay include Harlan attended Marquette. He served as the hiring two general manages and two coaches who school’s sports information director for six years won Super Bowls, overseeing the trade to acquire before going to the Cardinals. Brett Favre, the free-agent signing of Reggie White It was then that he saw big accomplishments for a fabled franchise. The Cardinals build the old Busch Stadium, hosted the 1966 All-Star Game and Harlan said the stadium project would cost more appeared in back-to-back World Series. than a billion dollars now. It’s ensured the club’s “I feel like I worked for as fine a baseball financial health. “He always seemed to know what tradition and as fine a football tradition as there is,” the organization needed,” Kevin Harlan said. Harlan said. (Reprinted with permission from an article He went to the Packers in 1971, becoming the published in the The Des Moines Register on 8/29/15, team’s first non-Green Bay native to serve as John Naughton author.) president 19 years later. Green Bay had struggled in the 1970s and 1980s. Harlan returned the team to Super Bowl status. One of his biggest decisions was hiring Ron Wolf as the team’s general manager. Wolf, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this month, was given the power to run the team. Wolf was eager to acquire Atlanta’s third-string quarterback. He told Harlan about the kid. “We’re going to trade for Brett Favre, are you OK with that?” Wolf said. Favre, an 11-time Pro Bowl player, would lead the Packers to the Super Bowl XXXI title. “It might have turned out to be the best trade in Family Heirloom Cookbook Makes a the history of the NFL,” Harlan said. Great Christmas Present for Family Mike Holmgren was hired as coach. General manager Ted Thompson and Coach Mike Members McCarthy would later team up to bring the Packers And it IS a lovely family heirloom! Did you the Super Bowl XLV crown. know the cookbook also includes a CD (PC’s only) Harlan was the driving force behind an indoor with all the recipes on it? practice facility that became a recruiting factor for All of the 600+ recipes are tried and true, delicious players in frigid Green Bay. offerings from YOUR extended family, and also “Green Bay, Wis., is not an easy sell to people included are interesting Harlan history and from big cities and warm weather states,”” Kevin illustrations. Price is just $15 + $5 shipping (sorry, no Harlan said. credit cards). Send your order and check, made out to “Harlan Family in America” to: Dorothy Sperry, 3230 Kingman Rd., Ames, IA 50014. Or call 515-292- 8456 to speak to Dorothy. GOOD NEWS! Application has been made to the IRS requesting 501c-3 status, i.e. tax exempt status, for The Harlan Family in America organization. This change in designation will enable contributions made to the The stadium rebuild kept the team afloat financially. organization to be tax deductible, which currently With year-round usage that includes a team Hall of they are not. Stay tuned and we’ll let you know Fame, tours and attractions, it brought home $19 when the change is approved and becomes official. million annually after completion, a figure that has grown ever since then. Page | 2 HARLAN FAMILY IN AMERICA TREASURER’S REPORT President - Pat Fluetsch CHECKING ACCOUNT BALANCE $7483.89 1003 Hamlet Ct., Stockton, CA 95209 (4/30/15) Vice President - Mary Harlan Murphy INCOME 664 Valley View Ln., Wayne, PA 19087 Donations $525.00 Secretary - Gerry Harlan Lundgren Cookbook Sales $205.00 TOTAL INCOME $730.00 2517 - 190th, Stanton, IA 51573 DISBURSEMENTS Treasurer - Robert A. Harlan Newsletter $1,366.83 326 Firestone Rd., Greensburg, PA 15601 printing/mailing Board Meeting $328.20 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Storage Containers $190.43 Nancy Harlan Gooding (Ga.) Cookbook Expenses $19.78 Joe Hannon (Calif.) Internet Fee $6.00 Fred Harlan (Pa.) Petty Cash $50.00 Jonathan V. Harlan (Tenn.) TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS $1,961.24 Checking Account Balance (8/31/15) $6252.65 Katherine M. Harlan (Pa.) Certificate of Deposit (8/31/15) $10,124.35 Kenneth Harlan (Ind.) NET WORTH (8/31/15) $16.377.00 Kurt Harlan (Ore.) Robert R. Harlan (Calif.) Becky Hines (Fla.) THE HARLAN RECORD Dorothy Harlan Sperry (Iowa) is published semiannually by Peggy Harlan Hewitt (Ohio) The Harlan Family in America P.O. Box 284 BOARD MEMBERS EMERITUS Lionville, PA 19353 Junior F. Harlan (Ariz.) It is a permanent organization established to Tom Harlan (Wash.) document the historical contributions made by Ruth Harlan Lamb (Mo.) Harlans in America. Submissions of articles are Liz Harlan Sly (VA) welcome. They are subject to editing and may be held C. J. King (VT) for future use. Send email to: Dorothy Harlan Sperry – [email protected] BOARD MEMBERS ETERNAL To change your address for The Harlan Record, or John R. Harlan (Ga.) to request an electronic copy via email, send the new Dan Harlan (VA) information to The Harlan Family in America Ridge Harlan (Calif.) P.O. Box 284, Lionville, PA 19353 or email: [email protected]. Current and previous issues of The Harlan Record are also available online at REMEMBRANCE FUND www.harlanfamily.org in memory of.... CONTRIBUTORS TO THE HARLAN Bill Gooding by Gerry Lundgren (IA) FAMILY IN AMERICA Donations received since April 30, 2015 Your financial support is greatly appreciated. Nicholas and Douglas Gordon by Roberta Gordon (IN) AR Virginia Harlan Linda Henderson Ellis Harlan Patsy Young by Debra Aldridge (OK) FL Bruce Harlan KY Frank Corum Ida Patterson Chamberlain Harlan MO Jim & Dorothy Harlan by Thomas Crosby (NM) OR Bonnie Harlan Grandstaff Page | 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE JUNIOR HARLAN REFLECTS By Pat Fluetsch “I sustain myself with the love of family.” My first association with the Harlan Family in ― Maya Angelou America came about when I attended the 300th The whole Harlan Family is on my mind as I anniversary reunion in Wilmington, DE in 1987, and write this message from Guadalajara, Mexico. I am subsequently went on the first Harlan tour to England. living here for three months with my daughter and her It was on that trip that I learned another national family as they transition to their new home and family reunion was being planned to be held in Mt. teaching jobs. Pleasant, Iowa in 1997. Since I lived in IL and was Everywhere in the world families gather to very close to the chosen location, I offered to help. connect with those alive today and celebrate the lives When we began the planning for that reunion, we of their ancestors. A Mexican woman, who teaches quickly found that the board had not ever met after with my daughter, told me that every summer her the 300th anniversary reunion and was very loosely father's extended family meets for a weekend at their organized and not really involved. Back then, the large hacienda compound outside of only way to communicate was by letter or Guadalajara. Over 400 relatives gather to visit, eat phone. The reunion at Mt. Pleasant, IA in 1997 was and just generally have fun! That is exactly what we the beginning of many changes in the do at our National Family Reunions every 5 years! association. The internet was in place by then and we No matter where you find yourself in the established our website, and everyone on the board world you see that families sustain each other.
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