John Humphrey

John Humphrey left this magnificent world on May 12, 2022.  He was an education entrepreneur. Prior to his role as Chairman of Lifespan Research Foundation, John’s prolific career included such highlights as:

• Co-founding The Forum Corporation, a leading global training provider known for pioneering learning design that produced results.
• Co-founding the Instructional Systems Association (ISA).
• Sitting as Chairman of American Society of Training and Development, now known as the Association for Talent Development (ATD). He was honored by both ATD and ISA with lifetime achievement awards.
• Serving as Trustee of ten educational institutions, including the Visiting Committee of Harvard Graduate School of Education.
  John’s expertise was not limited to education, however. He co-founded and is CEO of Humphrey Companies, a private equity company in the automotive sector. The non-profit sector was also an area of passion for John, having served as Trustee of the Boston Ballet for 30 years (15 as Chairman).

Lifespan Research Foundation sat squarely at the intersection of John’s overlapping interests in education and non-profit management. John avidly followed the Harvard Study of Adult Development since the 1970’s. In 2014, he joined with Director Robert Waldinger to co-found and Chair the Lifespan Research Foundation “to promote and use lifespan research to enable people to live healthier lives filled with meaning, connection, and purpose.”

John graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and received his MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. In between obtaining his degrees, John served in the US Navy, where he developed a love of the sea. He loved to sail the New England coast and Caribbean. John enjoyed gardening, golf, and reading. He lived in Boston with his wife Pamela as do their three daughters, Victoria, Joanna (husband Bryan, and grandsons Grayson and Henry) and Caroline (husband Christian and expectant granddaughter fall 2021).

The John W. Humphrey Visionary Fund has been established to honor John, his legacy and vision to advance the mission of The Lifespan Research Foundation.