The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced the Association's Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The late John Parry, who served as the Director of Athletics at Butler University from 1990-2006, is among this year's honorees. Parry also led the athletics departments at both his alma mater Brown University and Cleveland State University.
 
The list of inductees includes: Al Bean, University of Southern Maine; Jeff Bourne, James Madison University; Peggy Davis (posthumous), Virginia State University; Earl Edwards, UC San Diego; John Jackson, Dean College; John Parry  (posthumous), Brown University; Fran Reidy, Saint Leo University; and Kulwant Singh, De Anza College.
 
The group of deserving individuals will be honored in conjunction with the 61^st Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., at the beginning of the Association-Wide Featured Session on Monday, June 8, starting at 4 p.m.
 
John Parry, Brown University, Butler University, Cleveland State University (posthumous)
John Parry, a veteran athletics administrator for over three decades, passed away in August 2024. Parry served as athletics director at his alma mater, Brown University (1979-90), Butler University (1990-2006) and Cleveland State University (2010-17).

At Brown, Parry oversaw multiple capital projects, significantly improving the athletics facilities. He also spearheaded hosting college hockey's Frozen Four three times in Providence. He served as assistant athletics director before an 11-year run as director of athletics on College Hill.

While at Brown, Parry was one of the nine original Board of Directors of the Sports Foundation and was a driving force in the building of OMAC (1981) and Pizzitola Sports Center (1989). In the early days of his AD role, Parry was instrumental in supporting and upgrading women's sports, which had gained a tentative foothold in the mid-1970s. He also reinstated wrestling to varsity status in his first year. The 1980s saw Brown reach new heights in athletics under Parry's leadership.

Parry served two separate terms on the NCAA Lacrosse Selection Committee in the 1980s and 90s. He led a group that modernized the NCAA Tournament and created Final Four weekend, similar to other NCAA Championships, which still exist today.

During Parry's tenure at Butler, the department expanded its sports offerings, added and improved athletics facilities, and captured its first Horizon League James J. McCafferty Trophy for all-sports excellence in 1996-97. The Bulldogs repeated that honor in 1997-98, 1998-99, 2001-02 and 2002-03.

The Bulldogs captured 55 conference regular season/tournament championships over Parry's 16 years and made NCAA Tournament appearances in men's and women's basketball, football, men's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's cross country, lacrosse, men's tennis, men's and women's track and baseball.

Parry spent the final six years of his career at Cleveland State. He first served as interim athletics director in 2010 and was named to the permanent position in 2011. During his time at CSU, the university captured the McCaffery Trophy in 2012-13 which is awarded annually to the best athletics program in the Horizon League. In addition, he oversaw the development of the Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion, which still serves as the home court for the men's and women's tennis programs as well as a multi-use tennis facility for the Greater Cleveland Community. Parry also successfully launched the Vikings' men's lacrosse program in 2017.

Parry served on the NACDA Executive Committee from 1999-2003 and was recognized as a NACDA Athletics Director of the Year (ADOY) in 2002-03.