Cornell President Elizabeth Garrett dies
Cornell University President Elizabeth Garrett died Sunday about a month after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
Garrett, 52, was inaugurated as Cornell's 13th and first female president Sept. 18. Before Cornell, Garrett was provost of the University of Southern California. She started in her role at Cornell on July 1.
In early February, Garrett announced she was diagnosed with colon cancer and began aggressive treatment at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. She was released from the intensive care unit at Weill following surgery Feb. 19, according to Acting President Michael Kotlikoff.
Cornell President Beth Garrett released from ICU
Garrett is the first president to die in office at Cornell, according to the Cornell Chronicle.
In a statement Monday, Kotlikoff said Garrett was an inspiring and visionary leader "who continually raised the bar for all of us at Cornell as we charted the university’s future together. ... Her greatest legacy will be for this generation of Cornellians – faculty, students and staff – to build on Beth’s fearless dedication to discovery and learning, and her incredible energy to make her vision for Cornell University’s future a reality.”
In messages of support and sadness that have poured in Monday, colleagues and leaders described Garrett as "remarkable," "vibrant" and a "visionary."
Robert Harrison, chairman of Cornell's board of trustees, announced Garrett's death in an email to the campus community Monday. He said Garrett "was simply a remarkable human being — a vibrant and passionate leader who devoted her life to the pursuit of knowledge and public service and had a profound, positive impact on many lives that she touched."
Ryan Lombardi, vice president for student and campus life, said in an email to students Monday he was devastated to hear the news. He said Garrett was an "incredible individual" who up through Friday was "writing to me with her ideas and sharing her concern over how our students are doing this semester. Although like you I’ve only known her for a relatively short time, she has left a lasting imprint on my life."
Trustee Andrew Tisch said Monday, "It’s profoundly sad. This is a woman who was absolutely fearless in the way she approached the agenda, and she was going to get things done, and in her six months of tenure she’s left a great legacy. I last saw her a month ago and she was having a wonderful evening, a wonderful Cornell evening, and she appeared to be feeling great."
A university-wide moment of silence was held at 4 p.m. Monday followed by playing of the Cornell Chimes. Hundreds of people gathered at the Cornell Arts Quad for the moment of silence and the to listen as the chimes rang out with "Clair de Lune" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" among other songs. A formal memorial will be held on campus in the near future, Cornell said.
"I hope we can pause and appreciate a great person who treasured her many roles in life as a partner, sister, daughter, aunt, and president," Lombardi wrote.
Soon after the news of her passing, condolences from across Tompkins County and the state poured in.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Garrett was a visionary leader "committed to further the education and growth of those around her."
“I’m deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Elizabeth Garrett. Throughout her accomplished career, and especially as president of Cornell University, Elizabeth was a visionary leader who was wholeheartedly committed to furthering the education and growth of those around her. She devoted her life to creating a better future for everyone, and she understood that in order to accomplish that, part of her responsibility as a leader was to boldly challenge the status quo. As the first woman to lead Cornell University as its President, she lived that promise herself.
“Elizabeth’s passing is a great loss not only for her university, but for our state. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I offer my deepest condolences to all of her many friends and loved ones,” Cuomo said in a statement.
Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, D-Ithaca, said Garrett was poised to be a great leader. Garrett had served as Cornell's president for less than a year.
“I am devastated to hear the news of President Garrett’s passing," Lifton said in a statement. "She was a lovely, warm and accomplished woman who was poised to be a great leader at Cornell. My sympathies to her husband and family and to the entire Cornell community.”
Tompkins County Legislature Chair Michael Lane said he was "shocked" and "deeply saddened" by Garrett's death.
“We in Tompkins County are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic news about Elizabeth Garrett’s passing," Lane said in a statement. "In the all-too short time she was here, we came to know her as brilliant, witty, savvy, and sincere in her commitment to the community. While our partnership with her was just beginning, her vision and good will shall endure. She will be missed by all who knew her. Our thoughts and prayers are with President Garrett’s family and the Cornell community.”
Condolences also came from Ithaca's South Hill, where Ithaca College President Tom Rochon said, "Beth’s passing is a shocking loss for Cornell and for higher education leadership as a whole. To meet her is to be immediately impressed with her energy, her positive outlook and compelling personality, and her keen intelligence that slices right to the heart of important issues. My thoughts and prayers are with Beth and her family, and I offer my deepest condolences to the entire Cornell community."
The full email from Robert Harrison:
Dear Cornell Community,
It is with utmost sadness that I write to inform you that our president, colleague and friend, Elizabeth Garrett, passed away late last evening after a brave battle with colon cancer. There are few words to express the enormity of this loss.
Beth was simply a remarkable human being -- a vibrant and passionate leader who devoted her life to the pursuit of knowledge and public service and had a profound, positive impact on the many lives that she touched. In this regard, she was the quintessential Cornellian. From the moment I met her during the presidential search, it was clear to me that she had the intellect, energy and vision not only to lead Cornell, but to be one of the greatest presidents in our 150-year history. While Beth’s tenure as president has tragically been cut short, her efforts over the last eight months have set the university on a path toward continued excellence. She will leave a lasting legacy on our beloved institution and will be terribly missed.
We will honor Beth’s memory with a moment of silence, followed by chimes, this afternoon at 4:00pm EST. I invite you to mark this moment either by yourself or with colleagues and friends. Plans will soon be made for a memorial gathering on the Ithaca campus in the near future. We will share details as soon as they are available.
On behalf of our entire community, Acting President Kotlikoff and I offer our heartfelt condolences to Beth’s husband, Professor Andrei Marmor, and the rest of the Marmor and Garrett families.
Sadly,
Robert S. Harrison
Chairman, Cornell University Board of Trustees
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Follow Kelsey O'Connor @ijkoconnor.
Joanne Lipman of the USA TODAY Network contributed to this report.