Collector Profile on John H. Bryan
By Sam Isenstein and MK Meador
Corporate CEO’s and businessmen have in recent years come under fire for fiscal irresponsibility and overindulgence in the face of America’s economic woes, but what happens if a particular CEO is responsible for major contributions to public works? A forward-thinking and civic minded man, the city of Chicago owes John Bryan a great deal of gratitude for his work on the Millennium Park project.
John H. Bryan, former CEO of Sara Lee, is a philanthropist and fund-raising figurehead in Chicago. There is no questioning his success in the business world, but lesser known are his contributions and support of Chicago arts and public works. Bryan is accountable for wrangling over $205 million in contributions towards Millennium Park, serving as the campaign chair for the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, magnanimous support for other aspects of the AIC, the Lyric Opera and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. A proponent of the private sector supporting the arts, Bryan has made a point of practicing what he preaches. Born in Mississippi in 1936, Bryan graduated from Rhodes College and began working in the family business. Consolidated Foods purchased the company and eventually became the Sara Lee Corporation. Quickly rosing through the ranks, Bryan became a member of the board of directors in 1974 and CEO in 1975. He was appointed Chairman of the Board in 1976, holding that position until his retirement in 2001. Accruing a wealth and contacts and experience in business, Bryan worked his way into a perfect position to support the arts.
A persuasive salesman and effective manager, Bryan is an uncannily effective fundraising manager. He gravitates towards projects that stir the imagination and evoke strong emotion, it’s a more effective way to accumulate donations and guarantee the project stays in the public eye. A skilled delegator, Bryan understands the need for benefactors to get involved in planning and execution but doesn’t follow suit – once the project is set to go and his obligations are taken care of, Bryan lets the infrastructure he set up take over. He appoints the right people and then moves to the background, removing his ego and moving on to his next project. While drawing bad publicity for his generous severance package from Sara Lee, the community at large is grateful for his enormous contributions to Chicago art and public works in Chicago. Millennium Park is one of the most important public areas in the city, and without Bryan it arguably wouldn’t have been completed. After the initial budget of $150 million was surpassed, Bryan was integral in raising the overflow budget from the private sector. His unwavering dedication to the arts and belief in accessibility have made Bryan one of the Chicago art movement’s most important members.
The less publicized involvements of John Bryan include his owning and restoration of the Crab Tree Farm and the extensive American Arts & Crafts collection he houses on the estate. It sounds like an idyllic retreat and according to the farm’s website “the farm buildings and most of the farmland [were sold] to Mr. and Mrs. John H. Bryan, who had, the previous year, purchased the Blairs’ summer residence on the lake. Today Crab Tree Farm is home to cattle, horses, sheep, chickens, and turkeys. Crops have included hay, corn, and soybeans. The original Beman buildings have undergone extensive renovation and display collections of furniture and decorative arts from the American and English Arts and Crafts movement, as well as contemporary furniture.”
His farm show signs of his southern roots and the man is highly quotable. He somewhat infamously once remarked to a Tribune reporter that in order to raise the staggering amount of capital for the Park project that “You wrap the civic cloak around the problem.”
For more information on Bryan’s work with Millennium Park read this article.
For more information on Crab Tree Farm
