For the congressman, see John Heritage Bryan

John Heritage Bryan

John Heritage Bryan was a U.S. Representative from North Carolina.Born in New Bern, North Carolina, Bryan studied under private teachers and attended New Bern Academy....

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John Henry Bryan, Jr. is the former CEO of the Sara Lee Corporation.

A graduate of Rhodes College

Rhodes College

Rhodes College is a private, predominantly undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Originally founded by freemasons in 1848, Rhodes became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in 1855. Rhodes enrolls approximately 1,700 students pursuing bachelor's and master's...

 in Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

 and Darden Graduate School of Business Administration

Darden Graduate School of Business Administration

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business is the graduate business school associated with the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Darden School is one of the world's leading business schools, offering MBA, Ph.D. and Executive Education programs...

, he is also affiliated with the French Legion of Honor, the World Economic Forum

World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....

, and was a Member of the Board for Sara Lee, Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...

, General Motors, British Petroleum, and Bank One.

John H. Bryan is a philanthropist and art collector. He serves as campaign chairman for two major civic improvement projects in Chicago: Millennium Park

Millennium Park

Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, USA and originally intended to celebrate the millennium. It is a prominent civic center near the city's Lake Michigan shoreline that covers a section of northwestern Grant Park. The area was previously...

 and the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. Estimates place the combined budget for these two capital projects at over a billion dollars.

As CEO of Sara Lee Corporation he administered a major corporate gift of impressionist, post-impressionist and modern art to museums around the world. The “Sara Lee Millennium Gift” consisted of major and underappreciated artworks collected by Sara Lee founder Nathan Cummings. The catalogue of this gift represents works by Renoir

Renoir

-People with the surname Renoir :* Pierre-Auguste Renoir , French painter* Pierre Renoir , French actor and son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir* Jean Renoir , French film director and son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir...

, Monet, Matisse, Rodin

Rodin

- People :* Auguste Rodin , French sculptor, for whom is named:** The Musée Rodin in Paris, France** The Rodin Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA** The Rodin Gallery in Seoul, South Korea** Rodin , a crater on the Moon...

, Degas, Leger

Leger

Leger may refer to:*Fernand Léger, French artist and filmmaker*Nicole Léger, Canadian politician*Dick Leger, Square Dance Caller*Jules Léger, Governor General of Canada from 14 January 1974 to 22 January 1979.*Saint Leger, or Leodegar...

, Dufy, Moore

Moore

Moore may refer to:* Moore , a crater on Venus* Moore , lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon* Moore , a common English-language surname* People with surname Moore...

and others from the period 1870 - 1970.

Bryan’s international charitable interests engage the participation of his family and the community and represent advice and support for museums, historic preservation advocates, performing arts groups & other non-profits. He advocates for excellence in design and urban planning with an extensive personal collection ranging from Elizabethan furniture

Elizabethan furniture

Elizabethan furniture is the form which the Renaissance took in England in furniture and general ornament, and in furniture it is as distinctive a form as its French and Italian counterparts.- Gradual emergence :...

 to Miesian furniture. There is a quantitative emphasis on the ‘Arts and Crafts

Arts and Crafts movement

Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...

’ and ‘Guild’ movements in the UK and US (1880–1920).

Known for his Southern cadence, Bryan was quoted by the Chicago Tribune in reference to the Millennium Park project. When asked how he got contributions for these vast projects he replied, “You just wrap them in a cloak of civic pride”.

Bryan currently resides in Lake Bluff, Illinois

Lake Bluff, Illinois

Lake Bluff is a village in Lake County, Illinois. It is the closest moderate-sized town near the Great Lakes Navy Base and is North of Lake Forest. The population is 6,056 according to the 2000 census. The town has a police department and volunteer fire department.-History:In 1836, John and...

on Crab Tree Farm. Since his purchase of the farm, Bryan has restored many of its structures to 19th century standards using techniques and materials that were available at the time of their original construction.

External links

• Crab Tree Farm