Oklahoman, president of Cornell, dies of cancer
ITHACA, N.Y. — University of Oklahoma graduate and Oklahoma City native Elizabeth Garrett, who became the first woman president of Cornell University in July, has died. She was 52. School officials say she died of colon cancer.
Garrett, who became president of the Ivy League school July 1, died Sunday night at her home, Cornell said.
“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,” said Robert Harrison, chairman of the Cornell Board of Trustees. “She will leave a lasting legacy on our beloved institution and will be terribly missed.”
Cornell, located in central New York, planned a moment of silence Monday afternoon and a memorial service at a later date.
Garrett succeeded David Skorton, who became secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. She was previously a provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Southern California.
President George W. Bush appointed her in 2005 to serve on the bipartisan Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform, and she served from 2009 to 2013 as commissioner on the California Fair Political Practices Commission.
She received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Oklahoma and a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Garrett’s husband, Andrei Marmor, teaches at Cornell’s law school.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo called Garrett a “visionary leader” in a statement offering his condolences.
“Elizabeth’s passing is a great loss not only for her university, but for our state,” Cuomo said.
A distinguished legal scholar, Garrett was a 1985 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of OU, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in history with special distinction. She returned to campus in May to deliver OU’s commencement address.
OU President David Boren issued this statement Monday: “Beth Garrett is one of the most extraordinary people I have ever known. She is one of the most outstanding students to ever graduate from the University of Oklahoma. Her remarkable intelligence was matched by her caring heart and strong character. She will be missed by all who have known her.”
Garrett was a 1981 graduate of Putnam City North High School.