Lives of Consequence
Reynold Levy '66, L.H.D. '14
Throughout his career, Reynold Levy ’66, L.H.D.’14 has distinguished himself as a leader devoted to philanthropy and enhancing the lives of others through public service.
Levy retired as president of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 2014 after more than a decade at the helm. During his tenure, he transformed the Center’s financial model and built an unprecedented spirit of collaboration across the Center’s formidable constituents, including the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Ballet. His work has not only ensured that the Center’s programs have thrived, but that millions of visitors are able to enjoy and experience the arts in a world-class facility.
Currently a consultant to commercial and nonprofit institutions and to benefactors seeking to expand their philanthropy, Levy previously served as executive director of the 92nd Street Y and president of the International Rescue Committee, the Robin Hood Foundation and the AT&T Foundation.
Levy, who is also the lead director of First Republic Bank, has authored five books, including They Told Me Not To Take That Job: Tumult, Betrayal, Heroics and the Transformation of Lincoln Center, which was a New York Times best-seller, and Start Now: Because That Meaningful Job Is Out There, Just Waiting For You. He has written and spoken extensively about philanthropy, the performing arts, foreign policy, humanitarian causes, and the leadership and management of nonprofit institutions. He has held the post of Senior Lecturer at The Harvard Business School and has taught law, political science and nonprofit management at Columbia and New York Universities and at the City University of New York.
After graduating from Hobart in 1966 with a B.A. in political science, Levy earned his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and his Ph.D. in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia.
He has served as a consultant, volunteer, and board member of nonprofit and profit organizations, including the Manhattan Theatre Club, The Municipal Art Society of New York, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, The Grove Foundation, The Charles R. Bronfman Foundation and the Consortium of the Advancement of Private Higher Education. He has been a member of the Advisory Board of the Aspen Institute's Program on Philanthropy, a trustee and chair of the Executive Committee of the Institute for International Economics, a trustee of Third Way, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Century Association.
A former Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Levy has been honored with the Freedom Award from the International Rescue Committee and the prestigious Lawrence A. Wien Prize for Social Responsibility from Columbia University. He was recognized in 2009 with Cooper Hewitt’s Design Patron Award for his stewardship of Lincoln Center’s campus, a $1.2 billion renovation and transformation project.
In 2005, the Hobart College Alumni Association recognized Levy with its highest honor, the Medal of Excellence, for his faithful and committed service to the HWS community. For his longstanding leadership and support, Hobart and William Smith awarded Levy an honorary degree during the Colleges’ Commencement ceremony in 2014.