2025 Partners in Philanthropy Cornerstone Award: A-Lan Reynolds

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[A-Lan Reynolds:] The light from the stars takes an almost inconceivable amount of time to reach your eye, traveling at the speed of light, which is almost inconceivably fast. Those two things together construct an image of your mind of this enormity in which photons are traveling through the universe, and they’re going to end on your eyeball and go in your brain. And they’re not going to go any further. They were meant just for your eyes after uncountable millions of years of travel. It’s mind-boggling. A lot of people think it makes you feel small, but I don’t feel that way. I think it makes you feel special, that you yourself could be the receiver of those photons. That’s not being small at all; that’s being unique and meaningful.

John.

John.

John.

John.

Reynolds, in particular, grew up with that. That was his first love. It was astronomy. He was learning the night sky.

[Jeff Stuckey:] John told the story to me once that it was his grandfather that kind of opened his eyes to the stars many, many, many years ago.

[A-Lan Reynolds:] Although I never met Grandpa McCreery, he was essentially the only male in John’s life he could count on. With only an eighth-grade education, he taught himself the constellations and the star names. He was really anxious to teach it to John, and so when John was four and five years old, he was teaching him the stars, and yet he himself had never had that benefit of anybody sharing that wonder. So that very first scholarship that we put together was epitomized by Grandpa McCreery himself. We felt so driven to make a difference in introducing people to the science behind the wonder. I think we always, both of us, believed we had to make as much of an impact as we could because our time would be very short. In astronomical and geological terms, it’s a blink. We were newly married, and my recollection of that time is that we were bulldozing on life and letting it show us where we were going. I was kind of this hippie chick, and John was this wild guy. I think we were living in the moment. Just enjoying life every day. It seems so obvious. It’s a natural. This is the grand adventure. And now John has passed away, unfortunately. But I’m more committed than ever to IU Astronomy because I know that kind of dedication to the students is not something you find everywhere at all. But the reason I am so passionate about philanthropy at IU, it is really an extraordinary developer of great human beings.

[Rick Van Kooten:] John and A-Lan’s giving impacts every facet of the astronomy department, which is rare.

[John Salzer:] Between John and A-Lan, they have both really made a commitment to making the department better for IU, making opportunities available for the undergraduates in particular.

Providing research support for faculty, providing an opportunity for a post-baccalaureate position for an undergraduate.

[John Salzer:] Another example of their philanthropy is they’ve endowed a chair in the astronomy department. It’ll create a faculty line, create a faculty position. And then provide research support for that faculty member and their students throughout the entire time of their career. It’ll be the John and A-Lan Reynolds Chair of Astronomy. To both John and A-Lan, I’d just like to say thank you.

[Jace Rusznak:] My sincerest thanks.

[Rick Van Kooten:] I just want to thank both John and A-Lan.

[Jeff Stuckey:] We’re so grateful —

[John Salzer:] For everything you’ve done —

[Rick Van Kooten:] To essentially launch the astronomy department into a different echelon.

[Jace Rusznak:] My career in astronomy would not have been possible without the support provided by the Reynolds family.

[John Salzer:] Your love for IU astronomy comes through in everything you do. Thank you so much for what you’ve done for astronomy and for Indiana University.

John, I miss you, pal. I know A-Lan misses you. Oftentimes, I wonder if one of those sparkles in the sky might just be you.

[A-Lan Reynolds:] John Reynolds, he was my partner in life. We embarked on a life together to make an impact. That’s who we are. So, thank you.

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