Today, on what would have been Congressman John Adler’s 52nd birthday, his wife, Shelley Levitan Adler, and his sons, Jeffrey, Alex, Andrew and Oliver, announced that they have established a memorial fund in his memory at Harvard University.
The Fund will be known as The John H. Adler Memorial Fund for Veterans’ Affairs and will be hosted in the Harvard Kennedy School (John F. Kennedy School of Government). However, any school at Harvard University in which veterans’ affairs are studied may apply to use proceeds from the Fund.
The Fund is intended to support inter-disciplinary academic research in order to formulate best policy initiatives for government.
According to Shelley Adler, “it is our family’s intent to continue John’s legacy of respect and support for veterans. It is a population that is sometimes sadly neglected, despite the tremendous personal sacrifices made by those individuals and their families. This Fund will lead to better governmental treatment of our service men and women after they are no longer in active duty.”
Adler had a special respect and affinity for those who served their country. He was very active in supporting veterans in his tenure in the New Jersey State Senate and in the United States House of Representatives, where he served on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Adler believed that it was his job as an elected official to show the men and women of the armed forces our gratitude by adopting policies that best serve their needs as veterans. In this day and age, such needs have become quite complex. Adler always strived to implement policy that he believed was most effective, which can often be demonstrated through academic research and recommendations.
The Adler Family chose to establish this Fund at Harvard because faculty at Harvard are already studying some of these issues and because of Congressman Adler’s connection to Harvard.
Adler was a 1981 graduate of Harvard College and a 1984 graduate of Harvard Law School, where he met his wife, a fellow 1984 graduate. Jeffrey Adler, Adler’s oldest son, graduated from Harvard College in May 2011, just six weeks after his father unexpectedly passed away. May 2011 also would have been the 30th anniversary of Adler’s graduation from Harvard College.
“It is a special privilege for us to honor the life and work of Congressman Adler, a Harvard alumnus and dedicated public servant, by carrying on his inspiring work through the John H. Adler Memorial Fund for Veterans’ Affairs,” said Harvard Kennedy School Dean David T. Ellwood. “
Those wishing to support the John H. Adler Memorial Fund for Veterans’ Affairs may do so as follows:
Any gifts can be sent to:
Harvard University
Office of the Recording Secretary
124 Mt Auburn Street
4th Floor
Cambridge MA 02138
Checks should be made payable to “Harvard University”
Attn: The John H. Adler Memorial Fund for Veterans’ Affairs (HKS).
People can also give online through the Kennedy School using credit cards at:
