Legacy

When Abramson left the White House at the end of the Obama administration, he resumed his faculty position at Bellarmine University. Today, Abramson serves as Spalding University’s Executive-in-Residence and on the University of Louisville Board of Trustees. Both Jerry and Madeline Abramson volunteer their time and expertise on many boards for Louisville’s Jewish, philanthropic, and civic organizations.

While cataloging and preserving the Abramson collections, we asked Louisville's Mayor for Life about his proudest career accomplishments. Among his favorite innovations, Jerry Abramson cited the development of Louisville's waterfront and the city park system, the Baseball park, and the expansion of the Louisville airport. "These are the recognizable 'Brick and Mortar' projects that people can point to," Abramson reflected, "but what matters more to me is something less tangible: I wanted to help change the mindset of the city community. When I came in as Mayor, we seemed to have a 'glass half empty' kind of mentality. When I left, things felt different: I knew that we could compete with anybody. That's what matters most to me."