Robert Reichley Files (OF-1CA-R2)

Biographical/Historical Note

Robert A. Reichley (1927-2018) was the Executive Vice President for Alumni, Public Affairs and External Relations at Brown University.

Reichley graduated from York Junior College (now York College and received his bachelor's degree in English from Ursinus College, in Collegeville, PA. Brown University hired him as the editor of its alumni magazine in 1968. The next year the magazine won the Robert Sibley Award for best university magazine in the country. After two and a half years, he was asked to create the first University Relations Department. By 1977, Reichley headed all University relations: media, alumni, community, government, general public relations, external communications, major University events and special programs. He was promoted to Executive Vice President for Alumni, Public Affairs and External Relations in 1990. After 30 years, four presidents, and numerous awards, honors and honorary degrees, he retired as executive vice president and secretary of the university. Reichley's department won over 400 national awards of excellence during his tenure at Brown.

Reichley had a lifelong love of the arts. As Chairman of the Board at Ursinus he led the successful campaign for a $25 million performing arts center. In recognition of his and his wife Sara's long-standing support of music at Brown and in Rhode Island, the Sara and Robert A. Reichley Concert Fund was established in 1997.

The state of Rhode Island, and especially Providence, was dear to him. He was Chairman of the Providence Foundation; President of the Providence Preservation Society; President of the Greater Providence Convention and Visitors Bureau; Commissioner on the Capital Center Commission; member of the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority; and a board member or chairman of the board of Trinity Square Repertory Company, the Rhode Island Commodores, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, and the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, among others.