By Tom McClimon
November 11, 2008

Bill Purcell, former mayor of Nashville, has been named the director of Harvard’s Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Purcell assumed the post on September 1.

“We are delighted that Harvard has chosen a mayor as head of the Institute of Politics,” stated Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran. “As a former Executive Committee member of ours, we know Mayor Purcell will bring a fresh perspective to the important work of the Institute and will be a tremendous asset to the faculty and students and the JFK School. We look forward to working with him to further our partnership with the JFK School.”

The Conference of Mayors biennially sponsors the Seminar on Transition and Leadership for Newly-Elected Mayors with the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Purcell served as mayor of Nashville from 1999-2007. His accomplishments earned him “Public Official of the Year” honors in 2006 by Governing Magazine and he was an Institute of Politics Fellow in the fall of 2007 As mayor, he also was honored by the Conference of Mayors and Americans for the Arts with the annual “Local Leadership in the Arts” award in 2006.