April 15, 2017
Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon University community:
As many of you know by now, last night we learned of the passing of Henry Hillman, who was such a good friend to Carnegie Mellon and a staunch supporter of the university. Our hearts go out to our trustee, Lea Simonds, and the entire Hillman family.
Last night we made available to local media a brief statement expressing our appreciation and our sense of loss. This has been posted on the cmu.edu website and communicated through other channels as well
“Along with the entire Carnegie Mellon University community, I join the city of Pittsburgh and friends around the world in both the celebration of Henry Hillman’s historic life, and the profound sense of loss at his passing.
“Henry’s wide-ranging curiosity and his sharp analysis of innovations in science, technology, and policy can be seen in the broad variety of causes he and his foundation supported here at Carnegie Mellon, ranging from computer science to transportation technologies to brain research. Those seemingly disparate commitments shared a common goal: to benefit humanity, and to put Pittsburgh at the forefront of that global progress.
“Mary and I had the good fortune to get to know Henry and Elsie in recent years, and I am proud to be the inaugural holder of the Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair with a deep sense of honor and gratitude for all that title represents.
“Henry Hillman’s extraordinary spirit and gifts live on through his family, including his daughter Lea Simonds, who serves as a CMU trustee. Our hearts go out to them at this difficult time.”
Sincerely,
Dr. Subra Suresh
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair
Carnegie Mellon University