{"id":31861,"date":"2024-02-13T13:54:07","date_gmt":"2024-02-13T18:54:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=31861"},"modified":"2024-02-13T13:54:08","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T18:54:08","slug":"life-trustee-ezra-cornell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/life-trustee-ezra-cornell\/","title":{"rendered":"A Conversation with Life Trustee Ezra Cornell \u201970, BS \u201971"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A lineal descendent of the Founder who joined the board his senior year, he reflects on the University\u2019s past, present, and future<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Joe Wilensky<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ezra Cornell \u201970, BS \u201971, is the great-great-great grandson of University founder Ezra Cornell\u2014and as his eldest living lineal descendant, he holds the life trustee position on the <\/em>Board of Trustees<\/em><\/a> as stipulated by the University\u2019s charter.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1959, his father, William Ezra Cornell \u201940, died suddenly at age 42 after serving just two years on the board.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Then 11, Ezra couldn\u2019t legally serve until age 21 and was named \u201ctrustee-in-waiting\u201d as a grade-schooler\u2014a status that garnered national headlines.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He officially joined the board the fall of his senior year in CALS; shortly after marking <\/em>50 years of service<\/em><\/a> in 2019, he became the University\u2019s longest-ever-serving active trustee.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this month, Board Chair Kraig Kayser, MBA \u201984, tapped Ezra to lead an ad hoc trustee committee to partner with President Martha E. Pollack and the administration in its ongoing review of relevant institutional policies and procedures that impact campus conduct, announced by President Pollack in her <\/em>November 1 campus message<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Young
Looking scholarly at age 11, shortly after being named \u201ctrustee-in-waiting.\u201d (Rare and Manuscript Collections)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Cornellians sat down with Ezra to discuss his unique role within the University and his thoughts on its past, present, and future.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your earliest memories of being aware of your family\u2019s role in founding, building, and sustaining the University?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The year before I was named trustee-in-waiting, my dad brought me up to Cornell for a football game against Colgate. I recall driving toward campus near sunset on Danby Road, lined with tall trees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a break in the trees and a spectacular view of the lake. I can\u2019t remember my dad\u2019s exact words, but it was along the lines of: \u201cthis place could be important to you at some future time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ezra
Leaving Uris Library as a newly minted trustee. (Rare and Manuscript Collections)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n

A couple of months after my father died, I was in my sixth-grade classroom, and over the PA system I heard, \u201cEzra Cornell, please report to the principal\u2019s office.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My teacher brought me down to the office, and it was crowded with reporters and photographers. I don\u2019t really recall what I said, but that\u2019s when I began to realize this role was going to be something special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You were still an undergrad when you became a trustee; what was that like?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked into the boardroom for my first meeting, I think, a few days after I turned 21.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The trustees were all considerably older, and they were all male\u2014except for one woman, Patricia Carry Stewart \u201950<\/a>, who became a lifelong friend and my mentor on the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I learned a lot from the others on the board. And there were some remarkable people on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean for Cornell\u2014unique among its peers\u2014to have a lineal descendant of its founder as a trustee? Why is that special or valuable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t Ezra Cornell who made the decision about a life trustee; it was the early board members themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They thought that the concept that Ezra Cornell and A.D. White had\u2014founding this university based on core values remarkably different than any other at the time\u2014meant that there needed to be a trustee dedicated to reminding the board, faculty, staff, students, and others of those values, that they would remain in perpetuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the other trustees all bring their own valuable expertise\u2014whether from the fields of business, finance, law, government, and elsewhere\u2014I, as the life trustee, owe my responsibility to the Founder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Andrew
Leading the 2014 Sy Katz ’31 Parade in NYC with Andrew Tisch \u201971. (Cornell University)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

During challenging times for the University\u2014as the past several months have certainly been\u2014what is most important for members of the Cornell community to remember about our founding principles and core values?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That diversity is part of our DNA. Cornell\u2019s founders wanted to have men and women and people of all colors, races, and religions, able to come, if they were capable of doing the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the \u201cany person\u201d\u2014we\u2019re going to have people around us who are different than we are, and we need to get along. This is a place of welcoming. And the opportunities, the \u201cany study,\u201d goes along with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"New
With now-Governor Kathy Hochul and the University Charter during the Sesquicentennial. (Lindsay France \/ Cornell University)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Our history has been blessed with achievements and I know that our alumni and friends are very proud of what Cornell has accomplished and its promise for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have certainly been challenging times over the past 159 years. And even in these times, we need to remind individuals\u2014whether they\u2019re faculty, students, staff, or administration\u2014that we all need to be responsible for what we\u2019re saying and doing. It\u2019s okay to express ideas that are different; let\u2019s all talk about those things. We should remember that education is our primary purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Diversity is part of our DNA. Cornell\u2019s founders wanted to have men and women and people of all colors, races, and religions, able to come, if they were capable of doing the work.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As President Pollack has said time and again when defending the importance of free speech and expression: all voices should be heard, and we cannot allow the \u201checklers\u2019 veto\u201d to infringe on the rights of others to speak by effectively shutting down speech. We can solve things by learning from one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how do we ensure both freedom of expression and an obligation to civic and personal responsibility?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ezra
With his great-great-great grandfather\u2019s wedding socks, selected with other Big Red items for a flight on the space shuttle in 1989. (Rare and Manuscript Collections)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n

In my opinion, the best way to ensure a more civil society is through education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The First Amendment and the other freedoms described in the U.S. Constitution were the result of research by Monroe, Madison, Jefferson, Washington, and other Founding Fathers, who had studied the successes and difficulties of past nations and the philosophies of ancients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s definitely more challenging today in that students aren\u2019t getting that education coming out of high school\u2014whether it\u2019s public or private\u2014about that history, Greek and Roman philosophy, civil disobedience. I doubt many of them have read George Washington\u2019s Rules of Civility<\/em><\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

So colleges and universities need to enable freedom of expression because it\u2019s fundamental to learning, along with wondering, testing, debating, and accepting new ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setting aside particular political opinions, what does Cornell need to do and say to ensure that its students feel safe on campus and as a welcomed part of the community?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, they can recognize that they are safe. This is a well-run campus; our police are very well trained, and they are very good people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students, parents, and alumni need to hear more from us: that we have policies in place, that we have people to help. The administration has been doing just that, with more outreach to parents and alumni, to assure them that this is a safe environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Colleges and universities need to enable freedom of expression because it\u2019s fundamental to learning.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

There are perceptions that are legitimate; Jewish students and their families know that for thousands of years, there has been antisemitism, and horrible things have happened to Jewish people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we can get people to promote their causes in a more respectful way, that will certainly take the heat off; I also think we\u2019re getting a lot of \u201cstirring of the pot,\u201d as it were, coming from the outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cornell\u2019s founding principles embrace the essence of diversity, equity, and inclusion. How should we think about these values today, when even the label \u201cDEI\u201d has become divisive?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our university has had diversity as a core element since before anyone dreamed of \u201cDEI,\u201d and I like that people also now stress \u201cbelonging\u201d as part of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We want people to feel they are welcomed at Cornell. And while some people think our DEI efforts are part of a political movement, what our staff is actually trying to do is help people who are nontraditional students, who have disabilities, who come from rural communities, who are military veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Capping
At the “First American University” Cornell history class taught by Corey Earle \u201907. (Provided)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

We are committed to having a diverse population of exceptional students who are eager to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Cornell has always been a place where there are conflicting and challenging ideas, where there are debates. You\u2019re finding your way as a person in this struggle of getting a great education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How well do you feel that President Pollack has responded to the uniquely difficult campus climate since the horrific events of October 7? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think she\u2019s doing an excellent job. We are fortunate to have a president who understands our very large institution, who has the will to take on all the challenges, and who produces results we can be proud of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

We are fortunate to have a president who understands our very large institution, who has the will to take on all the challenges, and who produces results we can be proud of.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I know she has been working very well with her team: no institution of our size can lead or manage alone. President Pollack, Provost Mike Kotlikoff, and Board Chair Kraig Kayser are dealing with a lot right now, and they deserve our personal support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current crisis in the Middle East has been horrific, and there have definitely been ripple effects and additional challenges. They need to be dealt with seriously and properly, and I think we\u2019re going down the right road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your hopes for this ad hoc committee <\/strong>announced earlier this month<\/strong><\/a> by President Pollack, which you will chair, that will partner with the administration on its review of university policies to ensure that we are living up to our core values as an institution? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

As a first step, there has already been significant work done to develop new expressive activity and anti-doxing policies, and community input is being gathered now on interim versions of these. Our committee will review proposed final versions of these new policies. After that, there will be work on other policies, such as Cornell\u2019s anti-discrimination policy, that are particularly relevant to the challenges we\u2019re currently facing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all of these cases, the role of our committee will be to review proposed revisions\u2014after community input has been obtained\u2014with an eye to ensuring both that they are consistent with regulatory requirements and, most importantly, that they are reflective of our core values.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Ezra
With the Founder’s statue on the Arts Quad. (Jason Koski \/ Cornell University)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given all you have heard and read about founder Ezra Cornell, what do you most admire about him?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know that he was a person of not of a lot of words\u2014that is, spoken words\u2014but he did write a bit, and I have read many of his letters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had very firm beliefs, and he didn\u2019t really change any over his lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ezra
With wife Daphne. (Provided)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n

He believed that there was right and wrong, and that people should do the right things for each other. That giving was a great way to feel good about what you were doing in life, and that you had purpose under God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also had great vision, and he understood what was wrong with higher education; during his early life, it wasn\u2019t available to him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And he was an ambitious person who wanted to be successful for himself and his family, and for his city here in Ithaca. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

He believed that women could and should get an education, and that the color of people\u2019s skin, and what they believed in, should be unimportant in terms of access. So once he had the means to help start a library, then a university, he wanted them to be for anybody to learn anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, perhaps most admirable is that Ezra Cornell was true and firm in his vision to create a uniquely American university that was welcoming and provided educational opportunities for any man or woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think would surprise the Founder most about today\u2019s Cornell?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I think that because he intended this to be a \u201clarge and great university with lots of different studies,\u201d he knew there would be fields and areas that he couldn\u2019t even conceive of at the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was always very interested in things that were mechanical, and I think he would be absolutely fascinated today with our Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science<\/a>. It would surprise and delight him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Ezra
With daughter Katy and granddaughter Marion during the Sesquicentennial. (Provided)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve been preparing your eldest daughter, Katy Cornell \u201901, BS \u201902, to eventually step into the role of life trustee. What\u2019s the most important advice you\u2019ve given her?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn from her fellow trustees; to understand that her role is a bit different than theirs, and that she is one member of a large board; and, in her thinking, to be focused on the present, yet also contribute to the University\u2019s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Top: Photo by Jason Koski \/ Cornell University.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published February 13, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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