Hundreds Gather to Remember Joel Fleishman

Friends of Joel Fleishman joined from points all over the globe to honor the memory and life of Sanford’s founding director on Oct. 30, one month following his death at age 90 on the campus of Duke University at one of Fleishman’s dearest locations, the Washington Duke Inn, were he dined and met with his circle of friends regularly.

With an opening photographic showcase of the house and life of Fleishman set to his beloved music of Mozart, Interim Dean Manoj Mohanan of the Sanford School of Public Policy welcomed 400 attendees in person and another 450 watching the event online – a community connected to one person who relished his work, faith, food, wine and especially fellowship with others.

Image

“We gather to honor a remarkable man, Joel Fleishman, whose impact spanned more than half a century, touching countless lives through his scholarship, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to public service. Joel leaves behind an extraordinary legacy - a legacy of compassion, intellect, and a profound belief in the power of community and connection. He was a passionate educator, and a friend to many, embodying the best of Duke University,” Mohanan said.

President Vincent Price said that Fleishman was seemingly everywhere – and will remain so. “Joel’s impact on this university and its people is extraordinary. He was an administrator, a scholar, a teacher, a builder of programs, a fundraiser, and above all, a friend, a colleague, and a connector. As I reflect on all that Joel accomplished in more than half a century at Duke, I am struck by the many ways that his vision, his commitment to our academic mission, his incredible gift for fostering relationships with others, shaped a legacy that will be carried forward by generations by his students, his colleagues, his friends.”

Price’s comments were followed by dozens of “Friends of Joel” who paid tribute to his life and legacy with powerful stories and gestures of honor.

On behalf of Governor Roy Cooper, Senator Mary Wills Bode presented Fleishman posthumously with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the most prestigious award bestowed upon civilians by the state of North Carolina. “We can all agree that Joel qualifies for this award in spades.”

Billy Shore of Share Our Strength recalled the vast extent of Fleishman’s connections, which resulted in their long friendship and Shore teaching at Duke for 25 years. “He was a true American original, one of the most youthful minds I have ever known.”

Professor Emeritus Philip Cook of Sanford talked about how Fleishman gave him an opportunity in 1973 when Cook was 26 to join his mission to create a public policy program at Duke. “He instilled confidence that anything was possible under his upbeat leadership. He fought so many battles that were not easy, but I never saw him weighed down. He remained good humored, wise, deeply committed until the end.”

Professor Bruce Jentleson of Sanford came in 2000 to Duke to lead Sanford. Upon his first meeting with Fleishman at his home in Chapel Hill, he quickly surmised. “Joel had founder’s love, for the people, for the mission, and for the entity that he had played such a major role in creating.”

Former Sanford director Bruce Kuniholm said, “We are here to celebrate Joel’s life, his extraordinary capacity to bring people together within his expansive network to achieve the goal of putting knowledge in the service of society, only one of his legacies.” Kuniholm recounted a story to prove the pervasiveness of Fleishman’s circle, “a precursor to LinkedIn,” by frequently asking others if they knew the professor – and finding the most remarkable connections to Fleishman every time. “It never failed, whether on a cruise ship in the Baltic, in a dungeon in France, on the Great Wall of China, and a winery in Napa Valley, on a gondola in Venice.” Everyone was, and is, connected to Joel Fleishman, he said.

Image

Journalist and alumna Judy Woodruff, who also spoke at Fleishman’s funeral at temple, said of his mentorship, “From the first time I met Joel in 1975, I could tell he was a man with a mission. Over the years, he became one of my dearest friends, somebody I turned to for advice on virtually every big professional decision I made.”

His friend and alumnus David Rubenstein said he also found connections to Fleishman in the 85 countries he has visited. “Joel was always there with a wish for somebody to make life better. He was the soul of Duke University, and he was a person I will greatly miss.”

Graduate David Lauren of Ralph Lauren Corporation met Fleishman when he was 17 as a student at Duke. “He became a friend and mentor, someone I turned to for life advice. I cherished his relationship. Joel Fleishman taught me how to be a better person. His investment in people and community was something we were all lucky to have.”

Alumnus Jonathan Harmsworth, The Fourth Viscount Rothermere, recounted Fleishman’s incredible impact as well. “Joel became a great friend and mentor to me over the last 30 years. Joel collected relationships like he collected wine, and he enjoyed those relationships and nurtured them. Joel believed his whole life that service to others was the most important thing, and that’s the best way we can remember him, by serving others.”

Gregg Behr said Fleishman was a key reason he studied at Duke for multiple degrees, keeping the notes from his class for more than 30 years after meeting him. “I’m someone in this lifetime who was lucky enough to call Joel a friend. Joel ended nearly all of his emails to me with these two beautiful words: Love, Joel. For Joel, love and learning were linked.”

Alumnus Daniel Voll served as Fleishman’s research assistant as an undergrad for four years. “When I got to Duke, I needed a work study job. My job was to challenge his arguments and back up my own with evidence. It was terrifying and exhilarating. For those of you who played squash with Joel, it was like that. He taught me to be a reporting and hunting dog.”

Former Duke President “Nan” Keohane was a colleague of Fleishman from 1993 to 2004 and a longtime friend. “For me, he was a superb mentor, a legendary fundraiser, a pillar of Duke University and a man with a wonderful gift for friendship. He channeled his own great mentor, Terry Sanford, and kept Terry’s influence alive for the rest of us.”

Professor Judith Kelley, former dean of Sanford, said “Because of Joel, that is the sentence I hear most about Joel.” At his 87^th birthday, she asked Fleishman what he wanted to be when he grew up. He replied with a laugh, “an angel.”

Professor Bill Adair talked about Fleishman’s amazing energy. “He was a role model to us in how to live a long and energetic life and to be full of life.”

Former Professor Bruce Payne said Fleishman brought him to Duke from Yale in 1970 to teach ethics and public policy after first meeting him in 1962. “It was the opportunity of a lifetime. I didn’t know then I would be here for 35 years.”

Israel President Isaac Herzog’s remarks read by Bill Cassell: “Joel was a man who gave his time, money and energy with generosity and grace. He gave without cost, imported knowledge without reserve and shared advice without condition…Above all, Joel was a man who connected. He led a long life, rich with meaning and purpose.”

Ralph Lauren’s remarks, read by Roseann Lynch: “He remembered the things that mattered, like our birthdays and the moments that were special. Friends meant everything to him. They were his family and he was ours. He never forgot about love. He lived it, he defined it, he shared it with all of us.”

Fleishman’s friends Adam Abram and Ben Abram thanked all who attended the celebration and recognized Fleishman’s family. Many speakers paid tribute to Cassie Lewis, Pam Ladd, Bunny Wheeler and Nicholas Chrapliwy, who worked with Fleishman over his time at Duke.

Adam Abram concluded the event with a moment of silence to honor Fleishman. Attendees continued the celebration at a reception featuring the favorite foods and wines of Fleishman, and continued to share additional reflections long into the evening.

From Broadway to DC to Turkey and beyond, his friends found the most serendipitous connections to Joel Fleishman. The hundreds who gathered on Oct. 30 all had an anecdote or example of his impact and his legacy.

One online attendee remarked, “The Friends of Joel was one of the best clubs in the world to belong to in part because he kept reminding us of our duties to others.”