Remembering the Remarkable Ruth Mandel

April 12, 2020

Members of the Rutgers Community:

Our community has suffered the loss of an inspiring and transformational leader. Dr. Ruth Mandel, who helped found and directed our Center for American Women and Politics before leading the Eagleton Institute of Politics with distinction for nearly a quarter-century, died on Saturday from ovarian cancer.

Although Dr. Mandel came to Rutgers in 1971 with a Ph.D. in English and American Literature, it would be politics where she made her mark on our university—and the nation. She volunteered for and before long became director of a new Center for American Women and Politics at a time when women represented a tiny percentage of elected officials. Dr. Mandel built CAWP into what has become the country’s most influential center for both studying and promoting the advancement of women in the political arena.

Taking the directorship of Eagleton in 1995, she shaped an already established institute into a powerhouse of political scholarship. Dr. Mandel, a Board of Governors Professor of Politics, developed enormously successful research programs and centers, established speaker series that brought the nation’s leading political practitioners into discussion with Rutgers students, and through her tireless efforts created a vibrant community of scholars, students, and dedicated alumni. 

Now led by Debbie Walsh and John Farmer, CAWP and Eagleton are places of excellence that bear the imprint of her passion, vision, and humanity.

Ruth’s personal story is equally compelling. When she was an infant, her parents and she escaped the Holocaust aboard the SS St. Louis. The ship was denied entry into Cuba and the United States and was forced to turn back to Europe. She and her parents were among the fortunate passengers who were accepted into England, where they lived before moving to the U.S. in 1947. Although for many years she did not talk about that experience, Dr. Mandel eventually served on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council by Presidential appointment, and was founding chair of its Committee on Conscience.

Dr. Mandel’s remarkable life and career were captured in a moving New York Times obituary that I highly recommend to you.

In the year we mark the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, Rutgers and the nation have lost a dynamic force for the empowerment of all in the sacred duty of political participation. We are deeply saddened at the news of Ruth Mandel’s passing, and while we cannot gather in person at this time to celebrate her life, you will be hearing more about how the Rutgers family will pay tribute to her.

Sincerely,

Robert Barchi