Jerry Reinsdorf Addresses Law Grads

CHICAGO --- Jerry Reinsdorf, owner and chairman of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox, will deliver the main convocation address at Northwestern University School of Law, his alma mater, at 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., Chicago.

Reinsdorf, a 1960 graduate of the law school, headed the limited partnership that purchased the White Sox in January 1981. He assumed the position of chairman of the Chicago Bulls in 1985 when he led the group that purchased controlling interest in the franchise. During his tenures as chairman, the Bulls and the White Sox have delivered seven World Championship titles to the city of Chicago. Reinsdorf also spearheaded construction of the United Center, home of the Bulls and the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks.

Reinsdorf’s many contributions to the Chicago community have been recognized by numerous organizations including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Trial Lawyers Club of Chicago, the Chicago Historical Society, the Chicago Jewish Sporting Hall of Fame and the Chicago Sports Hall of Fame.

He was honored with the 2011 Jefferson Award for community service and volunteerism and the Barnes & Thornburg Jackie Robinson Award for diversity in the workplace. Earlier this year, Reinsdorf was honored with the 2011 Commissioner’s Award for Philanthropic Excellence from Major League Baseball for the work of the White Sox Volunteer Corps, a program for White Sox fans to give back to the local community through service.

A former member of the board of directors of the Northwestern University Law Alumni Association, Reinsdorf was named a life trustee of Northwestern University in 2005 and was awarded an Alumni Merit Award by the Northwestern Alumni Association in 1992.