HAngin' Out With...Raymond Osbun
AB '75 and Club Treasurer
What year did you graduate?
I graduated from Harvard with an AB in 1975. I grew up in Wilmington DE, attending a Friends School (And yes, I do have a Biden connection! I was a student volunteer for Joe’s first political campaign, his sister Valerie taught me social studies and his brother Frank was a football teammate). At Harvard, I was a premed student with a biology concentration. Unfortunately, I discovered that organic chem was my Achilles heel and fortuitously changed careers after graduation to pursue management of healthcare facilities.
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What’s your Bama story—how’d you get here?
After attending Duke Fuqua School of Management, I joined the Birmingham Baptist Health System. Except for management stints in Dayton OH and New Orleans with Tenet Health, my health care career resided in Birmingham. During my tenure, extending predominately in the 80’s and 90’s, our local healthcare marketplace was entrepreneurial, progressive and dynamic. For me it was truly rewarding. My healthcare career closed out when HealthSouth (Encompass Health today) acquired a physical rehab company that I had joined as a startup.
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What is your most memorable Harvard experience?
As one nearing his 50th Harvard Reunion, I have the perspective to respond to this question through the wisdom lens. The one word that surfaces is “community.” While at Harvard I experienced, with marginal success and aplomb, JV football and wrestling, rugby and Hasty Pudding theatrics. I graduated with the foundation for lifelong relationships with my 4 Lowell House roommates. I provide southern diversity to this group! The advent of Harvard edX, SIGs, the HCA have afforded me opportunities to connect and expand my Harvard community. COVID disruption inspired my Harvard classmates to create virtual SIGs that have fostered greater personal belonging and inclusion. Our Class is modeling two relevant communities on “Race and Racism” and "March Towards Justice.” My connections to Harvard today are gifts that keep on giving and renewing.
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Raymond is the Treasurer for The Harvard Club of Alabama. Connect with him and other board members here.