Jerome S. Hardy; Former Publisher of Life Magazine

Jerome S. Hardy, 74, former publisher of Life magazine and creator of Time-Life books. Hardy was hired by Time Inc. in 1959 to create its first book division. Five years later Time-Life emerged as the one of the nation’s leading book publishers. In 1964, while vice president of Time Inc., Hardy became publisher of Life. He held that post until 1970, when he joined the Dreyfus Corp. investment firm as executive vice president. He started out in the publishing field writing book liner notes for Doubleday after Army service during World War II. In Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday of the complications of Alzheimer’s disease.