In Memoriam: Marina von Neumann Whitman (1935–2025)
Marina von Neumann Whitman, Trustee Emerita of the Institute for Advanced Study and pioneering economist who broke barriers in academia, government, and corporate leadership, died on May 20, 2025. She was 90 years old.
Whitman had a lifelong connection to the Institute, serving as Trustee from 1999 to 2014, and as Trustee Emerita until her passing. As the daughter of John von Neumann, one of the Institute's founding Faculty members (1933–55) in the School of Mathematics and a pioneering figure behind the Electronic Computer Project, Marina spent her teenage years on the Institute's campus surrounded by some of the greatest minds of the twentieth century. Abraham Flexner, founding IAS Director (1930–39), referred to himself as her "uncle," and she later became a PhD student of Albert Hirschman, Professor (1994–2012) in the School of Social Science.
"Marina's Institute roots, as well as her distinguished career as an economist, gave her a distinctively rich perspective on our mission," said David Nirenberg, IAS Director and Leon Levy Professor. "As a Trustee, she brought both intimate knowledge of the Institute's founding principles and her own professional expertise in economics and policy to her service, which helped to ensure the Institute's continued excellence for future generations."
Born Marina von Neumann on March 6, 1935, in New York City, to John von Neumann and his wife Mariette (Kovesi), she graduated first in her class from Radcliffe College in 1956. She pursued her Ph.D. in economics at Columbia University, receiving her degree in 1962. She went on to attain some truly groundbreaking professional achievements. In 1972, she became the first woman appointed to the President's Council of Economic Advisers. She later served as chief economist for General Motors and became the first woman to rise to the level of Group Vice President at GM. Her academic career included positions as Distinguished Public Service Professor of Economics at the University of Pittsburgh and Professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
She was the author of three books on international economics, as well as The Martian's Daughter, a memoir about her life and her famous father. Most recently, she introduced science writer Ananyo Bhattacharya and his biography The Man from the Future: The Visionary Life of John von Neumann at a virtual event held by IAS in 2022.
Among Marina's father's convictions was that everyone had a moral obligation to make full use of his or her intellectual capacities, and Marina dedicated her life to personally fulfilling this expectation and to helping others achieve it in numerous ways. She was a mentor to many young professional women seeking to break into traditionally male-dominated fields.
In her service to IAS, she continually worked for its betterment, informed by both her personal connection to the Institute's founding history and her considerable professional expertise. In addition to her service to the Institute, she served on the boards of several leading multinational corporations, banks, and research institutions, including Harvard University's Board of Overseers.
Whitman was predeceased by her daughter Laura in 2023 and her husband Robert in 2024. She is survived by her son Malcolm, brother George Kuper and his wife Danielle, son-in-law David Downie, grandchildren William and Lindsey Downie, and dear family friends Tracy Keller and Caroline Otto.
