Charles T. Manatt, J.D. ’62, former chairman of the GW Board of Trustees, died July 22.
Mr. Manatt served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1981 to 1985 and as U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic from 1999 to 2001.
A 1962 graduate of the Law School, Mr. Manatt served as a member of the GW Board of Trustees from 1980 to 2008 and as its chairman from 2001 to 2007. He was then elected chairman emeritus, and the university awarded Mr. Manatt an honorary Doctor of Laws in 2008.
“Chuck Manatt -- as we all knew him -- served the university in countless ways, forging relationships with business and government and leading the board during a period in which the university grew remarkably both in size and in academic distinction,” said GW President Steven Knapp. “Ambassador Manatt’s extraordinary vision, vigorous personality and generous spirit will be sorely missed.”
Mr. Manatt and his wife, Kathleen, funded a professorship in the international rule of law at GW to help law students from developing countries learn the intricacies of international human rights and commercial rights law. He also joined Frank Fahrenkopf, his counterpart as former chairman of the Republican National Committee, in endowing a guest lectureship in the Graduate School of Political Management.
During Mr. Manatt’s board chairmanship, the university developed the Strategic Plan for Academic Excellence and approved a fixed tuition and guaranteed aid policy. Under his stewardship, George Washington also became the first university in the nation's capital to reach a $1 billion endowment.
In addition to his roles as a statesman and university leader, Mr. Manatt founded the widely respected law practice of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, and served on the board of the Wesley Foundation, the Mayo Foundation, the National Legal Center for the Public Interest and the Smithsonian Museum of American History. He was a member of the National Endowment for Democracy, the Board of Directors of FedEx Corporation and the Board of Directors of Oak Value Management Inc.
“While the university community, and indeed the entire country, mourns the loss of Ambassador Charles T. Manatt, a great statesman and advocate for education and public service, I am personally saddened by the passing of my longtime friend and mentor,” said W. Russell Ramsey, B.B.A. '81, chairman of the GW Board of Trustees.
“In my 30-year relationship with Ambassador Manatt, he was unfailingly generous with his time and his knowledge,” said Mr. Ramsey. “And I learned so much from him about our university community, and the ways in which we all can contribute to and share its vast opportunities.”
Visitation will take place Monday, July 25, at 1 p.m. at Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, 3401 Nebraska Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. A funeral in Iowa will follow later in the week.