Lattie F. Coor, the president widely credited with steering Arizona State University from a regional college into a national research university, has died at 89. Coor led ASU from 1990 to 2002, a 12-year run that reshaped the school through campus expansion, major fundraising and institutional changes that boosted the university's profile in Arizona and beyond.
News of his death surfaced Friday, July 17, 2026, in the Phoenix Business Journal. The outlet reported that Coor died at age 89 and described him as ASU's 15th president who "transformed Arizona State University into a major research institution" during his tenure.
Campus expansion, fundraising and R1 status
During Coor's presidency, ASU launched Barrett, The Honors College, established the Polytechnic campus and raised more than $560 million in the ASU Campaign for Leadership. That fundraising push increased endowed chairs and scholarships, according to ASU News. The university also earned Research I status from the Carnegie Foundation while he was in charge, a milestone that university leaders say cleared the way for rapid growth. ASU President Michael Crow called Coor "the person who laid the framework for ASU to be a great research university," ASU News reports.
Earlier career and civic work
Before arriving in Tempe, Coor served as president of the University of Vermont from 1976 to 1989, where trustees say he strengthened academics and fundraising during his 13-year tenure, per the University of Vermont Board of Trustees. After leaving ASU, Coor co-founded the Center for the Future of Arizona and stayed active in statewide civic and higher education efforts.
