Larry Landry ’71, MBA ’75, has long served his University
Larry Landry is a self-described “Worcester kid” who grew up on the city’s east side, across the street from a ballpark and surrounded by woods that he and his buddies could explore in every season.
The Worcester kid met his wife, Janice, at Sacred Heart Academy and they married young — Larry was 21 and Jan was 19. Larry would earn a B.S. in business administration in 1971 and an MBA in 1975 from Clark University, but his affiliation with Clark did not end with graduation. Far from it. Larry, in tandem with Jan, formed a bond with the institution that has endured for decades, through giving and service, and earning him the rare designation of Life Member on the Clark Board of Trustees.
There’s a story to it all.
At an early point in his career, Landry was working as the assistant superintendent for the Westboro Public Schools when one day his grandmother asked him to drive her to Hartford so she could visit her sisters.
“They spoke French, and I didn’t, so one of her brothers-in-law, a stockbroker, took me to his office,” he recalls. “The ticker tapes were going, and he showed me how to do some trading. I got the investment bug right there.”
That same day, Landry was thumbing through the job ads in The Hartford Courant when he spotted an intriguing notice for a budget director-assistant treasurer at a “small New England institute of higher education.”
“So, I applied — and it was Clark,” he laughs. “I got the job. But if I hadn’t taken my grandmother to Hartford, I probably wouldn’t have even seen the ad.”
“Clark is a place that’s large enough to be comprehensive but small enough so that every student is visible.”
larry landry ’71, mba ’75
Landry eventually was promoted to chief financial officer at Clark while still in his twenties. He recalls being mentored by Jacob Hiatt, a trustee and benefactor whose investing acumen was legendary. Landry also had the opportunity to collaborate with faculty on various projects, including on the construction of the energy-efficient cogeneration power plant on campus, one of the first of its kind in the country.
Professors Chris Hohenemser and Rob Goble “handled the science, and I did some of the regulatory work and all the financing” for the plant, Landry remembers. “That was the interdisciplinary culture at Clark. No one cared who you were or what area at Clark you came from. What mattered is what you could offer for the greater good. I was always inspired by that.”
Landry continued to hone his investment skills at Swarthmore College and Southern Methodist University before working for 10 years as chief investment officer for the MacArthur Foundation. He went on to found Westport Senior Living Investment Fund, which is involved with the development of continued care retirement communities. In connection with Westport Senior Living, he found Agewell Living, which manages 35 communities in eight states. With his brother, Roger Landry, M.D., he also founded Masterpiece Living, a senior-living advisory firm assisting seniors to age successfully. Masterpiece’s content is based upon the MacArthur Foundation’s 10-year study on successful aging.
A member of the Board of Trustees since 1993, Landry, who resides in North Palm Beach, Florida, is one of only two members, along with Tony Tilton, elected as a Life Trustee — the rarest of board honors. Larry notes that his service is a true partnership with Jan, who is incredibly supportive of the University, and who accompanies Larry to every board meeting. Together, the couple have also contributed nearly $3 million to Clark, including an endowed professorship and student scholarships, reflecting their deep appreciation and gratitude for the mission of Clark University to provide a world-class education that’s expansive in its breadth and intimate in its delivery.
“Jan is very much a part of this,” Larry says. “She’s never pushed back on any gift to Clark, and in fact the opposite is true: She’ll push me for more.
“Clark is a place that’s large enough to be comprehensive but small enough so that every student is visible,” he continues. “For a young person building their portfolio and understanding where they are in life, it’s the perfect place to be.”
His length of service on the board (including a term as chair) and ongoing involvement as a Life Trustee have provided Larry Landry an insider’s perspective into Clark’s academic and reputational evolution. He cites the benefit and privilege of serving with trustees who bring with them a wide array of professional experience and their unique personal connections to help shape a better Clark.
“It’s been a pleasure to see various generations of trustees come through,” he says. “I often joke that in my career I started as the youngest person in the room, and now I’m practically the oldest. And it happened with the snap of a finger.
“Honestly, Jan and I could never give back to Clark what it has given to us, as students and alumni. Clark has always been, and always will be, a very special place.”
