The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/tag/elizabeth-garrett/page/2/)
Cameron Pollack | Sun Photography Editor
"As you set out for Ithaka, hope the voyage is a long one, full of adventure, full of discover," President Garrett said in her inauguration address.
The first female president of Cornell, Elizabeth Garrett succeeded President Emeritus David Skorton. Garrett assumed the presidency on July 1, 2015 and was inaugurated on Sept. 18, 2015. She was previously the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Southern California. Following a battle with colon cancer, Garrett died at the age of 52 on March 6, 2016.
“We pray for the loss, we pray for the departed soul and we come together as a community, as a whole, to help each other out in these times of difficulty,” said Saim Chaudhary ’17.
The event will be open to the public and feature speeches from members of the Cornell community and performances from the Chorus and Glee Club.
The west stands across from the Crescent at Schoellkopf Field are in the process of being torn down due to underuse and potential safety hazards, according to Jen Baker, associate director of athletics. William Sitzabee, associate vice president of engineering and project administration, said the University decided to disassemble the stands “in lieu of an expensive repair for a facility that was underutilized and not needed.”
“They had reached a state of disrepair that limited their use to a point where they were no longer effective,” Sitzabee said. Schoellkopf Field is the home of Big Red football, sprint football and men’s and women’s lacrosse. The west stands were added in 1947, increasing the stadium capacity to 25,597, according to the University. President Garrett and the Capital Funding and Priorities Committee — the committee that oversees approval for university projects with budgets over $500,000 — approved the decision last December, according to Sitzabee.
The University Assembly broke procedure to pass a symbolic resolution expressing condolences and appreciation for President Elizabeth Garrett at its Tuesday meeting. The assembly then turned to discussion of the construction of Gannett Health Service’s new facility. U.A. Chair Matthew Battaglia ’16 began the meeting with a moment of silence honoring President Garrett and sponsored a resolution expressing the assembly’s willingness to assist the administration “in any way necessary” during the transition after Garrett’s death. Although not enough members were present for a vote, Battaglia broke procedure and motioned for the U.A. to carry out a vote over email. “This resolution is exceptionally self-explanatory, since President Garrett unfortunately and tragically passed away this past Sunday,” he said.
Two days after President Elizabeth Garrett died of colon cancer, Dean Laurie Glimcher of Weill Cornell Medicine announced the launch of The President Elizabeth Garrett Fund for Colon Cancer Research on Tuesday. The creation of this fund a fulfillment of one of Garrett’s last wishes, according to Glimcher. “Before her untimely death, Beth expressed her desire to create a fund at Weill Cornell Medicine to advance research in colon cancer,” Glimcher said. Glimcher stressed that while Garrett’s death is a tragedy, it is also an opportunity for reflection. “It’s also a painful reminder of why we’re all here — to advance medical research and offer patients the best care, so that they can achieve their dreams and live as fully as possible,” she said.
Hundreds of Cornellians gathered on Ho Plaza Tuesday evening for a candlelight vigil honoring Cornell President Elizabeth Garrett. Several Cornellians — including Ryan Lombardi, vice president for student and campus lifem and Cornell Big Red Marching Band’s former drum major Michaela Olson ’16 — spoke about their memories of the late president.
The hundreds gathered at Ho Plaza listened solemnly as student leaders and administrators payed their respects to President Elizabeth Garrett and the Cornell Big Red Marching Band played the Alma Mater.
After the chimes concert, members of the Cornell University Chorus and the Cornell Glee Club gathered together to sing “The Cornell Evening Song” on Ho Plaza.
Throughout President Elizabeth Garrett’s tenure, she demonstrated remarkable leadership ability and personal strength, and it is clear that Cornell has lost a true force in its community. How we can best honor Garrett and her dedication to the University is to care for Cornell as Garrett did — with enthusiasm, openness and honesty.
