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Honoring a Legacy: Hartwick Names New Speaker Series for Thom Meredith ’73

Hartwick College has officially dedicated its new Sport Management Speaker Series to a distinguished alumnus, Thom Meredith ’73.

During the series’ launch on February 28, President James Mullen announced the naming of the Meredith Sport Management Speaker Series, celebrating Meredith’s impact on the sports industry.

Hartwick College Interim President James H. Mullen, Jr.

"With a rich legacy of athletic success and a growing sport management program, Hartwick could not have a more fitting namesake for this series than Thom, whose career embodies everything we hope to inspire in our students. Spanning more than 40 years, his career has helped shape some of the most prestigious sporting events in the world."

James Mullen

President

Doug Logan with Thom Meredith '73, Trustee Miller '79, President Mullen

Trustee Larry Miller ’79, Thom Meredith ’73 and Doug Logan with President Mullen.

Doug Logan in audience before speaking during the Thom Meredith '73 Sport Management Lecture Series
Doug Logan speaking during Thom Meredith '73 Sport Management Lecture in Anderson Theatre

During the event, President Mullen expressed deep gratitude to another Hartwick alumnus—Larry Miller ’73. “A dedicated trustee, a loyal alum, and a steadfast supporter of your college, Larry has made a generous commitment of time and leadership to launch the sport management program,” Mullen said. “And also, through his philanthropy, to launch this sport management lecture series. Larry, we are incredibly grateful. Thank you.”

Meredith introduced his longtime friend, Doug Logan, the inaugural speaker for the series. “This speaker series will be about and will focus on those personalities who were ‘the players’ on that other side,” said Meredith. “They have been instrumental in the success of any team, league, stadium, concert hall, arena or your local aquarium. It’s those driven people like Doug, who I think have really made the difference in the business of sport over time.”

During his presentation, The Frisson of Jeopardy: The Anecdotal Career of a Sports and Entertainment Executive, Including His Successes and Failures, Logan left a lasting impression with thought-provoking insights.

Doug Logan

"Success and failure are imposters. They are mere data points. Everybody succeeds; everybody fails. You live your life in between those extremes, and the quality of your life is impacted by how you treat those data points."

Doug Logan

Meredith Sport Management Lecture Series Inaugural Speaker

Logan’s career spans over four decades and he is best known for his pioneering role as the founding Commissioner of Major League Soccer (MLS), where he launched the league in 1996 with 10 teams. He also served as CEO of USA Track & Field, leading the team to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Throughout his career, he has consulted with sports organizations around the world, helping shape the future of the industry.

Watch the entire lecture here.

The Meredith Sport Management Speaker Series is a new initiative at Hartwick College designed to bring prominent figures in sports management to campus to engage with students, faculty and the broader community. The series reflects the College’s commitment to fostering academic excellence, providing real-world learning opportunities and strengthening its longstanding tradition of athletics.

The next lecture in the series will feature Amber Steele, vice president of Global Sports Partnerships and Operations for The Coca-Cola Company. Date and time of the lecture to be determined.

Read more about the Meredith Sport Management Speaker Series.

March 5, 2025
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