Elizabeth McCormack

In 2020, Elizabeth J. McCormack and John Tognino founded and Co-chaired the Burke Neurological Institute Advancement Council. Under Elizabeth’s influential leadership, 25 new council members joined the Advancement Council to build a strong philanthropic foundation and to advance the mission of the Institute.  

At the age of 98, Elizabeth actively served on the board of Trust for Mutual Understanding, Asian Cultural Council, Manhattanville College, and Hamilton College. She was the founder and chairman of The Partnership for Palliative Care. She was also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Century Association.

Ms. McCormack was president of Manhattanville College from 1966 to 1974. She directed the Rockefeller Philanthropy offices and continues as a philanthropic advisor to members of the Rockefeller Family. She was a former board member of The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Julliard School, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center. Ms. McCormack has also been a friend and supporter of the Population Council for more than three decades, having served as both a trustee and chair of the board of trustees.

Ms. McCormack was a graduate of Manhattanville College and earned her PhD in philosophy at Fordham University. She received honorary degrees from American University of Paris, Brandeis University, Cambridge College, The City University of New York, Hamilton College, Manhattanville College, Marlboro College, and Princeton University.

The community of Burke Neurological Institute is forever grateful for all of Elizabeth’s contributions to the Institute and finds hope in the legacy that she has created.