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Marion E. "Betty" Jemmott, the first female senior administrator at Columbia, died on April 30, at age 80 in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
A pioneer feminist, Jemmott dedicated 35 years of her life to Columbia. In 1978, she was appointed the first woman secretary of the University, a position she held for 10 years until her retirement in 1988. She previously served as acting secretary for six years, from 1972 through 1978. In these positions, Jemmott served as the primary liaison for the University trustees and the president, maintained University records and ensured that all matters of the University were transacted in accordance with statutes and bylaws.
Her tremendous knowledge of these bylaws helped to guide the policies of four trustee chairs and four presidents of Columbia.
One of the presidents she worked with was Michael Sovern, currently the Kent Professor of Law. Reflecting on Jemmott, he said, "Betty was, among many things, the incomparable, irreplaceable, walking encyclopedia of Columbiana. We referred to her as, 'the last word.' If Betty said it, it was true." Sovern added, "She was fiercely devoted to Columbia's educational mission and women's rights in the university, in the city and in the nation."
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| In 24 years, Jemmott missed only one trustees meeting, due to jury duty. Photo by: Ann T. Johnson |
In a citation honoring Jemmott upon her retirement in 1988, the trustees proclaimed "She has, by example and with gentle encouragement, advanced the interests of women at this University and in the larger academic community with unfailing integrity. As a member of the Commission on the Status of Women and an active monitor of appointments and promotions, she has protected the interests of women and minorities with energy and vigor."
That same year, she received the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) Adele Mendelsohn Award for service to graduate students at the school and a Dean's Citation from the School of General Studies.
Even in retirement Jemmott was dedicated to Columbia, as both a participant and coordinator for the Lifelong Learners Program, which offers retirees a chance to take courses at Columbia and attend special lecture series by renowned faculty.
For more than four decades until her death, Jemmott served as a trustee for the Taraknath Das Foundation, an organization that aids students from India studying abroad. Several years ago, in recognition of her service, the foundation named its most prestigious fellowship in her honor.
Jemmott joined Columbia in 1951 as an administrative assistant in the philosophy department, a position she held until 1962, when she became assistant to the dean of graduate studies at Hofstra University. She returned to Columbia in 1964 as office manager in the Placement Office, which helped graduating seniors from Columbia College and SEAS find employment. Later that year, she was named assistant to the secretary of the University and in 1970 became assistant to the president.
Jemmott was born in New York City and earned a B.A. at Queens College in 1948. She pursued graduate work in the administration of higher education at Teachers College and studied at the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University.
She is predeceased by her father, Arthur Haddon Jemmott Sr.; her mother, Marion Elizabeth; and nieces Carol Lorraine and Linda Kay. She is survived by her brother, Arthur Haddon Jemmott of Millbrook, Alabama; a niece, Donna Lynn Starford, of Plano, Texas; and close friend Helen Thomas of Newtown, Pennsylvania. She is also survived by four grandnieces; five great-grandnieces and -nephews; and cousins, friends and colleagues who will miss her wit, her wonderful sense of humor and her wise counsel.
A memorial service is being planned for September.
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