DISTINGUISHED LEADERS IN EDUCATION 2017 Linda R. Macaulay
Ornithologist & Philanthropist
Linda R. Macaulay is a long term supporter of higher education in New York State. She is a Trustee of Cornell University. She is also Chairman of the Board of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and serves as Chairman of the Chairman’s Council. She and her husband Bill are major donators to the Lab where the Macaulay Library houses one of the largest collections of natural sounds and videos in the world. She has helped the Lab build a program where 140 undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students are able to study each year.
She is Vice Chairman of the American Museum of Natural History, famous to school children in New York City for field trips to visit its halls and gain exposure to nature. She is a member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the Collections Committee working with the curators of the museum’s many departments. She also serves on the Science Policy Committee, the Investment Committee, and the Budget and Finance Committee. She has done volunteer work in the Department of Ornithology.
She has also recently been named as a trustee of Rockefeller University.
She and her husband Bill are also major contributors to the City University of New York, where the Macaulay Honors College is named after them. The Honors College enrolls over 2,000 students and is one of the highest ranked public honors colleges in the United States. Its students are recipients of over 80 prestigious awards during the 15 years since its creation, and include Rhodes Scholars, Truman Scholars, Fulbright Scholars, and NSF Fellowships.
Linda is a dedicated ornithologist and supporter of wildlife. She is a Research Associate of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. She has traveled the world recording bird and animal sounds and behavior. She has recorded thousands of sounds from 2,850 species of birds in over 54 countries on six continents along with numerous animal and other natural sounds, amassing one of the largest collections in the world. Her work has resulted in the first recordings ever made of a number of species of birds as well as documenting many range extensions. Her collection is housed and cataloged at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She is a recipient of the prestigious Arthur Allen Award in Ornithology for her work and contribution to the field.
She is involved in numerous international organizations dedicated to protecting flora and fauna, and she is a life member of Bird Conservation Nepal. She is also Patron and Trustee of Himalayan Nature, an international research and conservation institute that undertakes scientific research on diverse aspects of Himalayan flora and fauna and its environment. She is a member of the Association of Field Ornithologists, the American Birding Association, the British Ornithologist Union, and a founding member of the African Bird Club.
Linda is the Managing Partner of Blue Crane Partners, an investment partnership.
Ms. Macaulay holds a BA in Biology from Beaver College. She is married to William E. Macaulay, Chairman of First Reserve Corporation. They have two children: Elizabeth and Anne. #
