Elizabeth Garrett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Garrett
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| 13th President of Cornell University | |
| In office July 1, 2015 – March 6, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | David J. Skorton |
| Succeeded by | Martha E. Pollack |
| Provost of the University of Southern California | |
| In office 2010–2015 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Helen Elizabeth Garrett
June 30, 1963 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 2016 (aged 52) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse | Andrei Marmor |
| Alma mater | University of Oklahoma University of Virginia |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | |
Helen Elizabeth Garrett, known as Elizabeth Garrett or Beth Garrett (June 30, 1963 – March 6, 2016), was an American law professor and a leader in universities. On July 1, 2015, she became the 13th president of Cornell University. She was the first woman to hold this important position. Sadly, she died from colon cancer on March 6, 2016. She was the first Cornell president to pass away while still in office.
Early Life and Learning
Elizabeth Garrett was born in Oklahoma City on June 30, 1963. Her parents were Robert and Jane Garrett. Her mother said that Elizabeth started reading very early. She was almost always seen with a book.
When she was young, Elizabeth said she wanted to be a lawyer. Her father, Robert, had a law degree. Her uncle and grandfather were also lawyers.
Elizabeth's great-grandfather opened the first school in the Choctaw Reservation town of Lehigh, Oklahoma. Her parents taught her and her sister Laura to always start a new task after finishing one.
Hobbies and Family Life
One of Elizabeth's favorite hobbies was cross-stitching. In her office at the USC, she decorated her walls with cross-stitched state mottos. She also made landscapes of Jerusalem, Chicago, and the Netherlands.
She often sent her cross-stitched creations to family and friends. A college friend, Mike Bresson, remembered traveling with Elizabeth in Italy. While others slept, she would cross-stitch, making the most of every moment.
While working at the University of Chicago Law School, Elizabeth started dating Andrei Marmor. He was a legal philosopher from Israel. They got married soon after.
Elizabeth and Andrei loved to travel together. Before she passed away in 2016, they visited places like Cambodia, Vietnam, and Italy.
Her Education Journey
Elizabeth Garrett earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts in history, from the University of Oklahoma in 1985. She graduated with special honors.
Her history professor, David Levy, said she was very quick. She would finish weekly quizzes fast and immediately reach for the next week's reading. He said he "never had a student who made better use of time."
As a second-year student at the University of Oklahoma, Elizabeth became the chair of the student congress. She held this leadership role until she graduated.
In 1988, she earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
After law school, Elizabeth worked for important judges. She clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. She also worked for Judge Stephen F. Williams on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
She also served as a legal advisor at the Iran–United States Claims Tribunal in The Hague. She was also a legislative director and tax advisor for Senator David L. Boren of Oklahoma. Senator Boren said she had one of the most amazing minds he had ever known.
Awards and Recognitions
Elizabeth Garrett received many honors throughout her career:
- University of Chicago Law School Award for Teaching Excellence (1997)
- Crain's Chicago Business “40 Under 40” Award for influential young Chicagoans (2000)
- Outstanding Teaching Award from the Latter-Day Saint Student Association (2006)
- Distinguished Alumna of the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Oklahoma (2007)
- Association of Trojan Leagues Outstanding Service Award (2008)
- Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
- Life Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- Harold Lasswell Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (2013)
- Member, American Law Institute
- Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, University of Oklahoma (2015)
- University of Virginia’s 2016 Distinguished Alumna Award
Her Academic Career
Elizabeth Garrett was very interested in how laws are made. She studied how new laws are proposed by citizens and how the government budget works. She wrote many articles and was a co-author of an important book on lawmaking.
Her work often combined ideas from economics and political science. She wanted to understand how to design democratic systems so that they would better reflect what people wanted.
Elizabeth was a law professor at the University of Chicago from 1995 to 1999. She also served as a deputy dean there. She was a visiting professor at other universities too, including Harvard Law School, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of Virginia Law School. She also taught in Budapest and Israel.
Leading at the University of Southern California
Elizabeth Garrett started working at the University of Southern California (USC) in 2003. She was a law professor and a Vice Provost. From 2010 to 2015, she became the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. This was the second-highest position at USC.
As Provost, she was a great leader. She managed many important areas, including the Dornsife College and the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She also started a program for postdoctoral scholars in the humanities. She helped create "The USC Strategic Vision," a plan for the university's future.
Becoming President of Cornell University
On September 30, 2014, the leaders of Cornell University chose Elizabeth Garrett to be their 13th president. She was chosen after a six-month search that looked at about 200 candidates. She was the first woman ever to lead Cornell University.
The previous president, David J. Skorton, announced he would leave Cornell in March 2014. He was going to become the head of the Smithsonian Institution. Elizabeth Garrett officially started her role on July 1, 2015.
Her Inauguration Ceremony
Elizabeth Garrett's inauguration ceremony was held on September 18, 2015. It took place on the Arts Quadrangle at Cornell University. She gave her first speech as president in front of the famous statue of Ezra Cornell, who founded the university.
She talked about the "spirit of Cornell" and how important the teachers were. She also said students were partners in learning and discovery. She highlighted Cornell's growing presence in New York City as a source of new chances.
Garrett said that finding and keeping the best teachers was Cornell's top goal. She also wanted to focus on the experience of students living on campus. She encouraged all of Cornell's colleges to work together with Cornell Tech in New York City.
After the ceremony, the university held a picnic on the Agriculture Quadrangle. People from Ithaca and the university community were invited. The Cornell Dairy even made a new ice cream flavor called "24 Garrett Swirl."
Later that day, Garrett led a discussion about democracy and inequality. She brought together important professors to talk about how inequality affects things like education, healthcare, and jobs.
Her Time at Cornell University
Elizabeth Garrett was president of Cornell for only seven months. However, she was very popular with students. She was actively involved in campus issues. She worked to help graduate students find housing. She also approved the opening of Anabel's Grocery store. She made changes to the university's leadership and supported freedom of speech on campus.
Some of her decisions caused discussion. For example, she changed a goal set by the previous president about becoming carbon neutral by 2035. Also, her decision in January 2016 to create a new College of Business was debated. Some students, teachers, and alumni felt there wasn't enough clear information about these decisions.
Garrett always stressed the importance of supporting everyone at Cornell University. She often showed her support for students and teachers. In a speech on October 23, 2015, she said that Cornell students were "simply amazing." She believed it was important to give students lots of support so they could learn and contribute.
Special Government Roles
In 2005, U.S. President George W. Bush asked Elizabeth Garrett to join a special group. This group had nine members from different political parties. Their job was to advise on federal tax reform. They released their report later that year.
On March 30, 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Garrett for a role in the Department of Treasury. She was nominated to be the Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy. However, she later withdrew her nomination on May 29, 2009, due to "aspects of my personal family situation."
From 2009 to 2014, she served on the California Fair Political Practices Commission. This group works to ensure fairness in political campaigns. She also directed the USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law and Politics. She served on the boards of other important organizations as well.
Her Passing
Elizabeth Garrett passed away on March 6, 2016, from colon cancer. She was 52 years old and was at her home in New York City. She was the first Cornell president to die while in office.
Garrett first told the Cornell University community about her cancer on February 8, 2016. She had surgery on February 19, 2016. She then officially gave her presidential duties to Provost Michael Kotlikoff, as allowed by Cornell's rules. On February 22, 2016, Acting President Kotlikoff announced that she had left the Intensive Care Unit and would continue treatment.
The Cornell community gathered on March 7, 2016, to remember Elizabeth Garrett. Over a thousand people, including leaders, students, teachers, and staff, met on the Cornell Arts Quadrangle. This was the same place where her inauguration had been celebrated less than six months earlier.
On the evening of March 8, 2016, hundreds of students held a candlelight vigil in front of Willard Straight Hall. Many people shared their memories of Elizabeth Garrett and how she had made a difference in their lives. Students also signed a card for her family.
Before she passed away, Elizabeth Garrett wanted to create a special fund. This fund would support research into colon cancer at Weill Cornell Medicine. On March 8, 2016, the "President Elizabeth Garrett Fund for Colon Cancer Research" was launched.
A memorial gathering was held in Bailey Hall on March 17, 2016.
Elizabeth Garrett is survived by her husband, Andrei Marmor. He is a professor of Philosophy and Law at Cornell University. She is also survived by her parents, Robert and Jane Garrett, and her sister, Laura Garrett.
See also
- List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 10)
