Marina von Neumann Whitman, professor emerita of business administration and public policy, passed away on May 20, 2025, at the age of 90.
Marina’s distinguished career spanned academia, government, and industry. She was the first woman to be appointed to the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, serving President Richard Nixon from 1972-1973. She went on to hold senior roles at General Motors, including as vice president and chief economist.
Having served on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh from 1962-1979, she returned to academia upon leaving GM, coming to the University of Michigan in 1992, where she was a beloved faculty member at both the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and Ross School of Business. Her scholarly work shaped thinking on international trade, multinational corporations, and corporate social responsibility.
She and her husband Bob were deeply involved in the life of the Ford School – and the fourth floor lounge at Weill Hall overlooking the Reading Room bears their names!
Admired for her brilliance and integrity, she was a committed mentor to women in male-dominated fields.
Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes notes, “She brought deep insight and experience to her teaching and research, and she will be remembered with great respect and appreciation by all who had the privilege to know and work with her.”
