Hours after business icon Ratan Tata died at a Mumbai hospital, tributes poured in for the industrialist. Remembering their alumnus, Cornell University also posted a message honouring the man who continues to inspire businessmen and entrepreneurs across generations.
Mr Tata attended Cornell University, an Ivy League school, for a degree in architecture and structural engineering in 1962. In a post on its X handle, Cornell University wrote, “Ratan Tata '59, B.Arch. '62, the university's most generous international donor and one of India's most respected business leaders and philanthropists, passed Oct. 9. We will remember his legacy of transformative giving to Cornell.”
Michael I. Kotlikoff, the interim president of Cornell University, said that Ratan Tata left an extraordinary legacy in India, across the world and at Cornell, which he cared about deeply. "Ratan's quiet demeanour and humility belied his international profile. His generosity and concern for others enabled research and scholarship that improved the education and health of millions of people in India and beyond, and extended Cornell's global impact," he said.
Mr Tata's association with Cornell University remained strong throughout his life. The University hailed Mr Tata as its largest international donor, recognising his significant contributions to the institution's global impact.
“In 2008, a $50 million gift from the Tata Trusts created the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition, a long-term research initiative, and endowed the Tata Scholarship for Students from India. In 2017, a $50 million investment from Tata Consultancy Services helped build the Tata Innovation Center on Cornell Tech's Roosevelt Island campus in New York City,” read the tribute from the University.
The Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition opened doors for many Indian students to study at Cornell. As of this year, 305 scholarships have been awarded to 89 Indian students, many of whom came from “non-feeder” schools.
Meejin Yoon, Dean of Cornell's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, remarked on Mr Tata's far-reaching impact, saying, “When Ratan Tata graduated from Cornell with a degree in architecture, it would have been impossible to imagine the global impact his visionary leadership, philanthropy and commitment to humanity would go on to have – advancing education and research across many sectors. Looking back over Ratan's life and career, I am not only filled with gratitude for all he has given and accomplished, but also with a deep respect for his kindness, generosity and eternal optimism that has improved lives in India and around the world.”
Mr Tata initially pursued mechanical engineering at Cornell before switching to architecture. Although he did not follow a career in architecture — having returned to the family business to work as an apprentice on the shop floor at Tata Steel — he served on the jury panel for the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize from 2014 to 2019. He attributed part of his business acumen to his architectural education at Cornell, particularly in developing creative problem-solving skills and considering various viewpoints.
Reflecting on his time at the university, Mr Tata said in a documentary produced by classmates for his 50th reunion in 2009, “The miles of tracing paper that all of us wasted on one concept after another did one thing: It taught us that we didn't stick with one thing. We tried and we tried, and we improved, and we reconceived what we had to do. It's no different in business.”
In the documentary, Mr Tata also shared that he disliked the harsh winters of Ithaca, his fondness for his fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi, and his passion for flying, which he enjoyed during his student years. He recounted a memorable experience where accompanied by several classmates, he managed to perform an emergency landing at what is now Ithaca Tompkins International Airport after a strut malfunctioned in the single-engine Tri-Pacer he was piloting.
