Jerry M. Reinsdorf
B.A. ’57
Business Executive, National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball Team Owner
Monumental Achievement: With a love for baseball that started in childhood, businessman Jerry Reinsdorf became owner of Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox as well as the National Basketball Association’s Chicago Bulls. Since Reinsdorf bought the White Sox in 1981, the team made the playoffs in 1983 for the first time since 1959, and won the World Series in 2005 for the first time since 1917. The Chicago Bulls, which he purchased in 1985, won six NBA championships in the 1990s. Reinsdorf has received recognition including election to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, and the Jefferson Award for Public Service.
Biography
Jerry Reinsdorf is a CPA, lawyer and owner of MLB’s Chicago White Sox and the NBA’s Chicago Bulls. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Reinsdorf earned his bachelor’s degree from the George Washington University and his law degree from Northwestern University.
Reinsdorf purchased the White Sox in 1981 and the Bulls in 1985. He quickly brought success to both Chicago franchises. The Bulls established one of the NBA’s all-time dynasties winning six titles in eight years (1991-1993 and 1996-1998). Reindorf’s Bulls sold out every game from November 20, 1987 through Michael Jordan’s retirement in 1999. The White Sox also saw results, advancing to the playoffs in 1983 for the first time in 24 years. They also made the playoffs in 1993 and 2000, before finally capturing the World Series trophy in 2005. This championship, the White Sox’ first since 1917, made Reinsdorf only the third owner in the history of North American sports to win a championship in two different sports.
In recognition of his ownership efforts, Reinsdorf was a 2016 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Reinsdorf has brought more than just championships and sports fame to Chicago. He has been involved in extensive charitable work throughout the city. In 2011, he received a Jefferson Award for “Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged” for his philanthropic efforts through the Chicago White Sox and Bulls Charities.
Reinsdorf resides in Chicago with his wife of over 60 years, Martyl. His son, Michael, is the current president of the Chicago Bulls.