Edward Thaddeus “Tad” Foote II
1937 – 2016
Edward Thaddeus “Tad” Foote II, who had a tremendous influence on the growth and development of the University of Miami over more than two decades, passed away on February 15, 2016. As the University’s fourth president, from 1981 to 2001, he significantly raised the academic and research stature of the school, spearheaded a capital fundraising campaign that was the second-largest in the history of American higher education at the time, and instituted a series of other reforms that ranged from improved facilities to new academic programs. In his honor, UM established the Foote Fellows Honors Program, a scholarship initiative for highly motivated students who enter the University with advanced knowledge in several disciplines and demonstrate intellectual rigor and interest in a broad-based curriculum.