News | February 23, 2016

John S. Reed Elected 23rd President of the Boston Athenaeum's Board

On Tuesday, February 16, 2016 the Proprietors of the Boston Athenæum elected John S. Reed as the 23rd President in the institution’s 209-year history. Reed succeeds Deborah Hill Bornheimer, who served for six years as President and a total of 16 years as a Trustee. The Proprietors also elected Susan B. Weatherbie as Vice President and J. Mark Enriquez as Treasurer. Charles A. Coolidge III and David P. Ingram were reelected as Vice President and Secretary, respectively. Anne C. Bromer, Earl M.Collier, Jr., and Austin V. Shapard were appointed as new members of the board. Alexander Altschuller and Edward B. Baldini both retired from the board after 12 years of service.

“Having already benefitted enormously from John’s counsel when he served as vice president of our Board, I’m looking forward to working even more closely with him in his new role,” said Stanford Calderwood Director Elizabeth Barker. “The transitions on our Board build on Deb’s dedicated leadership, and position the Athenæum to meet the changing needs of our members and friends in the 21st century.”

John S. Reed spent 35 years with Citibank/Citicorp and Citigroup, the last 16 years as Chairman. He retired in April of 2000. He returned to work as Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange from September 2003 until April 2005 and served as Chairman of the Corporation of MIT from June 2010 until October 2014. Reed graduated from Washington and Jefferson College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961 under a joint degree program, earning a BA and a BS degree. He served as a Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers, US Army, from 1962 to 1964 and then returned to MIT for his MS. Reed is also a Trustee of MDRC, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the NBER, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He is a Director of the Social Science Research Council and the CaixaBank in Barcelona. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Philosophical Society. Reed joined the Athenæum as a Life Member in 2004 and became a Proprietor in 2013.

“I am delighted and honored to be elected to serve the Athenæum in this role,” said Reed. “Today, thanks to the hard work of the Athenaeum’s staff and my predecessor Deb Bornheimer, the Athenæum is poised to reach even greater levels of excellence in the coming years.”

Incoming officers Susan B. Weatherbie and J. Mark Enriquez were appointed to one year terms, which are eligible for renewal next year. Weatherbie, a retired manager of Estate and Trust Administration, has served on the boards of Mount Holyoke College, City Year-Boston, and currently serves on the board of the American Friends of the Mauritshuis, and is the chair of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s Planned Giving committee.

Incoming board members Anne C. Bromer, Earl M.Collier, Jr., and Austin V. Shapard were appointed to three-year terms. Bromer, co-owner of Bromer Booksellers, serves on the Board of The Women’s Lunch Place in Boston, and recently established a letterpress printing studio for RAW Art Works in Lynn. Collier, a retired health care executive, has spent his career in healthcare, most recently as CEO of Arsenal Medical, from which he retired in 2015. He sits on the boards of Tesaro, Capricor and Transmedics and is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and a Trustee of Partners HealthCare and a member of the Codex Foundation board. Shapard, President & Chief Executive Officer of Fiduciary Trust Company, serves on the boards of the Peabody Essex Museum, the Anthony Trust Association, and the Provident Loan Society.

For a complete list of Boston Athenæum Trustees and their bios, visit http://www.bostonathenaeum.org/about/trustees/.

About the Boston Athenæum:

The Boston Athenæum, a membership library and museum, first opened its doors in 1807. Today, it remains a vibrant and active institution that serves thousands of members and scholars with a distinguished circulating and research collection, rich and varied special collections, extensive electronic resources, in-depth educational programming, and quiet reading spaces. The Athenæum’s first floor, including the Norma Jean Calderwood Gallery, and many of its programs, are open to the public. Membership is open to anyone interested in joining. For more information about the Athenæum, visit www.bostonathenaeum.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@bostonathenaeum), and Instagram (#bostonathenaeum).