Packers immortalize former president Bob Harlan at Lambeau Field

Bob Harlan will forever be connected to the Green Bay Packers and Lambeau Field, as if that wasn't already the case. Harlan's name was unveiled next to that of Ted Thompson on the façade of the Lambeau Field bowl during halftime of the Packers- Carolina Panthers game on Oct. 29. "My dad considered it a privilege to work for the Green Bay Packers. He knew the special responsibility of running this organization. He took a vast pride in his role, to protect the history and the legacy of this organization," Kevin Harlan said. "He came to the stadium every day for 37 years with that belief." Kevin Harlan knows how to read a room, even when it has 77,000 occupants. Harlan said that before his dad would be recognized, he would congratulate his longtime, personal friend, Bud Selig, the former owner of the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers. Selig, who also was on the Packers board of directors, brought the Brewers to Milwaukee from Seattle in 1970. Several Brewers made an appearance on the field between the first and second quarter after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays Oct. 28, to win their first World Series. Every mention of the Brewers brought a stadium's worth of cheers. Harlan died March 5, 2026 , in Green Bay. He was 89. All other names on the façade are Packers players and coaches in the Pro Football Hall of Fame , except Harlan and former general manager Thompson, who both are in the Packers Hall of Fame . Having given the Brewers their due, Harlan pivoted back to the Packers, thanking president and CEO Ed Policy, the team's executive committee and "the owners, the fans of the Green Bay Packers," who were in "the single most famous stadium for football in the country." "We know that each of these people stands on the shoulders of the ones before them, and that's how my dad felt. He had one goal in mind, continuing the greatness of this organization, which has won more NFL championships than any other team in the history of pro football," Harlan said to another round of cheers. Policy said Harlan restored the Packers to competitive greatness, on and off the field. "On a personal note, I will be forever grateful for Bob, who was so gracious and generous with his time and his advice for me as I prepared for this very unique roll," he said. Harlan joined the Packers in 1971 as an assistant general manager responsible for player contracts. He was named president and CEO in 1989 and proceeded to remake the Packers, who struggled on the field since the end of the Lombardi era in 1968. Harlan hired Ron Wolf to be his general manager in 1991. Wolf hired Mike Holmgren as coach, traded for Brett Favre and signed Reggie White, and since then the Packers have been one of the most successful teams in football. Harlan also addressed the Packers' financial health, spearheading the passage of a 0.05% sales tax that partially paid for the renovation of Lambeau Field in 2003, making it a year-round destination, and led, in time, to the creation of the Titletown development. He ended the decades-long practice of playing some home games in Milwaukee and conducted a stock sale in 1997, raising more than $24 million, also invested in Lambeau Field. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Harlan was sports information director for his alma mater Marquette University, before joining the St. Louis Cardinals. He had both World Series and Super Bowl championship rings. "My dad loved his life. He felt blessed in every way. And by the way, he was a great, great dad," Kevin Harlan said. "My dad would be so humbled by this moment. When the good Lord wrote the story of my dad, he must have had a smile on his face and a tear in his eye, knowing that my dad would marry the love of his life, raise his family in this incredible Green Bay community and to live his dream every day to be small part of the Green Bay Packers story." Contact Richard Ryman at  rryman@usatodayco.com . Follow him on X at  @RichRymanPG  and on Instagram at  @rrymanPG .