The U-M Institute for the Humanities is mourning the loss of long-time friend and board member John Rich, 86, who died January 29 at his home in Los Angeles.

"He was among our dearest and most beloved friends," said Institute for the Humanities Director Daniel Herwitz. "A Board member of the institute since the year it was founded, 1988, John's footprint at the institute has been huge. He was deeply invested in the fellowship he funded: in all of the John Rich Fellows have written/composed/produced."

John Rich, a U-M alumnus, was an American film and television director who won three Emmys over the course of his career. He directed such shows as All in the Family, Barney Miller, and The Brady Bunch. Rich was a member of the Screen Directors Guild since 1953 and helped merge that union with the Radio and Television Directors Guild in 1960, creating the present-day Directors Guild of America

The John Rich Fellowship, established at the Institute for the Humanities in 1991, has funded 27 faculty fellows over the course of 12 years:

1991-92 – Kim Lane Scheppele, Poli Sci
1992-93 – Patricia Simpson, German
1993-94 – Julie Ellison, English
1994-95 – Gregory Dobrov, Classics
1995-96 – Paul Forage, History & Asian Languages & Lits
1996-97 – Peter Sparling, Dance
1997-98 – Joseph Grigely, Art & Design
1998-99 – Bruce Mannheim, Anthro
1999-00 – George Bornstein, English
2000-01 – Eileen Pollack, English
2001-02 – Derek Collins, Classics
2002-03 – David Halperin, English
2003-04 – James Cook, AmCult & History
2004-05 – Linda Gregerson, English
2005-06 – Sara Forsdyke, Classics; Steven Mullaney, English
2006-07 – Howard Markel, History of Medicine, Pediatrics, Communicable Diseases
2007-08 – Philip Deloria, AmCult; Scott Spector, German
2008-09 – Rudolf Mrázek, History; Susan Parrish, English
2009-10 – Peter Ho Davies, English; Angela Dillard, DAAS & RC
2010-11 – Lisa Disch, Poli Sci & Women’s Studies; Carol Jacobsen, Art & Design
2011-12 - Daniel Hack, English; Matt Lassiter, History and Architecture and Urban Planning