Cancer Diagnosis Prompts Northwestern President-Elect To Step Down

EVANSTON, IL — The president-elect of Northwestern University was recently diagnosed with cancer and will be unable to take office as scheduled, she announced Monday.

Rebecca "Becky" Blank, announced as the board's pick for the next president in October 2021, had been due to succeed Northwestern University President Morty Schapiro on Sept. 1.

In what she described as one of the most difficult and painful letters she has ever written, Blank told the university community that she learned last week that she has an "aggressive form of cancer, which will require all my strength and resolve to fight."

Blank, 66, a former Northwestern economics professor, served in three presidential administrations, most recently as Acting Secretary of Commerce under then-President Barack Obama.

Last year, she was recognized with a lifetime achievement award as a 2021 Distinguished Fellow of the American Economic Association.

"We all know that nothing in life is guaranteed. This last week has probably brought the biggest changes that I have ever experienced in such a short period of time," Blank said.

Blank said her doctors have advised her that her treatment will make it almost impossible to do the job of president, with its long days, travel and constant energy.

"I am grieving the lost opportunities to work with all of you across campus to make Northwestern even better in the years ahead. But I remain just as excited for you and for the institution as I was when I accepted Northwestern’s invitation to be your next president," she added. "I will continue to cheer you every step of the way as you continue forward."

Blank spent nearly nine years as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison before departing at the start of last month.

“I can speak for all of us in the leadership of the University of Wisconsin-Madison," John Karl Scholz, provost and interim chancellor of UW-Madison said in a message to the school community, "in saying that we’re absolutely devastated by the news that Chancellor Emeritus Becky Blank has been diagnosed with cancer and will not be assuming the presidency of Northwestern University."

Schapiro will stay on as Northwestern's president while the university conducts a new search for his successor, according to a message from Northwestern board chair J. Landis Martin that followed Blank's announcement.

"When we offered her the job, we were incredibly excited to have such a dynamic and experienced leader join Northwestern," Martin said. "We are deeply disappointed that will not happen."

Peter Barris, who will take over as board president on Sept. 1, led the search committee that recommended Blank's hiring and will again lead the search for Schapiro's successor, Martin said.

"Our thoughts are with Rebecca and her family during this difficult time," he said. "We are appreciative of the time that she served as our president-elect, and we know she is thankful for the care and support of the entire Northwestern community."

According to university officials, Blank's daughter, Emily, is a Northwestern graduate.

“I ask that all of us at Northwestern keep Becky in our thoughts,” Schapiro said. “I will be offering prayers for healing at Shabbat services until her full recovery. She and her family will always be a part of the Northwestern family. May we all stand with her, Hanns and Emily at this incredibly difficult time.”

Earlier: Northwestern Names Becky Blank As Next President