Inside his office at the Blues Foundation in Memphis hangs a painting of Bonnie Raitt and a guitar signed by the late B.B. King. It’s not every day that a person gets to work on behalf of his musical heroes, but not every person gets to be Jay Sieleman, president and chief executive officer of the Blues Foundation.
Sieleman graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1975 and a Juris Doctorate in 1978. On June 13, he returns to campus to accept one of this year’s Distinguished Alumni Awards from the UI Alumni Association (UIAA).
“The blues is played by incredibly talented musicians who are very giving people and engaged with their fans,” says Sieleman, credited with skillfully and almost single-handedly saving the once-flailing Blues Foundation. “Blues takes away the blues. The university honors blues music when it honors me.”
Anyone associated with blues music will confirm that Sieleman’s work at the foundation kept the blues alive. Thanks to his tireless leadership, the Blues Foundation is now the largest and most renowned blues organization in the world—dedicated to preserving the music, celebrating performance excellence, supporting blues education, and strengthening the future of a music profoundly important to American history. Since arriving there in 2003, Sieleman has grown the foundation’s net worth by millions and tripled membership to 4,500 individuals, plus 200 affiliated blues societies representing another 50,000 fans around the globe.
Says Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dion DiMucci, “It would have been easy for Jay to maintain an organization that was essentially a fan club…an echo chamber or a perpetual nostalgia trip. Now, thanks to Jay, the blues has assumed its rightful place as an ambassador for American music.”
Last month, Sieleman attended the grand opening of a capstone project—the $3 million, 12,000-square-foot Blues Hall of Fame in downtown Memphis. When he steps down from his post in September, Sieleman can take pride in knowing he’s left behind a legacy of attention and recognition for the blues.
Since 1963, the UIAA has presented Distinguished Alumni Awards every year to graduates and friends like Jay Sieleman. Joining him in Iowa City this June are 13 other outstanding honorees: Tom Kloet, 1980 Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting; Diane Magrane, 1974 Bachelor of Arts in zoology and 1978 Doctor of Medicine degree; Leslie Jansa Williams, 1982 Bachelor of Science in nursing; Robert Downer, 1961 bachelor’s degree in political science and 1963 Juris Doctorate, and Jane Downer; Mary Kramer, 1957 Bachelor of Arts degree in music and 1972 master’s degree in elementary education; Sarah Dunkerton Lande, 1960 Bachelor of Arts in home economics and 1983 Master of Business Administration degree; Dana Ramundt, 1974 Bachelor of Business Administration in insurance; Sally Mathis Hartwig, 1975 Bachelor of Science in nursing and 1977 Master of Arts in nursing; Tim Dwight Jr., 1999 Bachelor of Science in sport, health, leisure, and physical studies; Bill Lynch and Matt Tucker, 2000 Bachelor of Science degrees in computer science; and former U.S. Congressman Jim Leach.
Medallions will be awarded during a noon luncheon and ceremony June 13 at the Levitt Center for University Advancement. More about the UIAA's Distinguished Alumni Award honorees.