Lattie F. Coor Jr., the 15th president of Arizona State University whose leadership helped transform the institution into a leading public research university, died Thursday evening. He was 89.
Coor served as ASU president from 1990 to 2002, overseeing a period of significant growth and change. During his tenure, the university achieved Research 1 status, expanded its multi-campus model and secured hundreds of millions of dollars through a landmark philanthropic campaign that strengthened the university’s academic and research mission.
Current ASU President Michael M. Crow called Coor’s leadership instrumental in shaping the modern university.
“ASU would not be the institution it is today without Lattie Coor’s vision, leadership and commitment to the community,” Crow said. He added that Coor “built a university faculty of stature” and “laid the track for ASU to emerge as a unique institution of higher learning.”
Crow, who said he had known Coor for more than three decades, also praised his dedication to education, creativity and service to Arizona, describing him as a source of support, wisdom and kindness throughout his own presidency.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, an ASU alumnus, also honored Coor’s legacy, recalling his time as a student during Coor’s presidency.
“I always appreciated his warmth and genuine kindness,” Fontes said. “His smile put students at ease in what could feel like a very big new place, and he had a remarkable way of listening with care while encouraging students in their academic pursuits and beyond.”
Fontes said Coor’s leadership helped position ASU for generations of students through expanded research, campus growth and transformational fundraising.
Coor’s legacy remains evident across Arizona State University, where the foundation he established continues to shape the institution’s academic excellence, research enterprise and statewide impact. ♦︎
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