Cornell Pays Tribute to Ratan Tata

Cornell’s Rich Tribute to Ratan Tata, Its Largest International Donor

Ratan Tata Death: Ratan Tata graduated from Cornell University, an Ivy League institution, where he earned his degree in architecture and structural engineering in 1962.

Cornell University paid a rich tribute to its alumnus, Ratan Tata, who passed away at the age of 86 on Wednesday. The university noted that Tata’s generosity and concern for others enabled research that improved the education and health of millions of people in India. Ratan Tata graduated from Cornell University with a degree in architecture and structural engineering in 1962.

Cornell University’s interim president, Michael Kotlikoff, said, “Ratan Tata’s quiet demeanor and humility belied his international profile. His generosity and concern for others enabled research and scholarships that improved the education and health of millions of people in India and beyond, extending Cornell’s global impact.”

A former Cornell trustee and its largest international donor, Ratan Tata was instrumental in establishing the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition, a research initiative, in 2008. In 2017, a $50 million investment helped build the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell’s Roosevelt Island campus in New York. Additionally, the Tata Scholarship Fund offers scholarships to 20 Indian students studying at Cornell University. To date, 305 Tata scholarships have been awarded to 89 Indian students.

When Ratan Tata initially joined the class of 1959, he enrolled to study mechanical engineering but switched his major to architecture two years later.

J Meejin Yoon, dean of Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, said, “When Ratan Tata graduated with a degree in architecture, it would have been impossible to imagine the global impact his visionary leadership, philanthropy, and commitment to humanity would have—advancing education and research across many sectors.”

In a 2009 documentary produced by his classmates, Ratan Tata credited his architectural training at Cornell for some of his business successes, emphasizing that problem-solving creatively was a crucial skill he learned.

“The miles of tracing paper that all of us wasted on one concept after another taught us one thing: we didn’t stick to one idea. We tried, improved, and reconceived. It’s no different in business,” Tata said in the documentary.

Tata also discussed his love for flying, a hobby he pursued as a student. During his Cornell days, he once executed an emergency landing of a four-seater plane after an engine failure, safely landing with several classmates onboard.

“Cornell will remember Ratan Tata’s extraordinary legacy in India, across the world, and at the university… We will remember his legacy of transformative giving to Cornell,” the university said.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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