Sudden Loss of Ross School Advisory Board Member

Sue originally came to study at the University of Michigan with plans to be a doctor but fully embraced the business track after taking her first accounting class. A prime example of a generous Michigan Ross alumnus, Sue took pride in funding three endowed scholarships at Ross and made multiple gifts to various schools, colleges, and units at the university over the years. She also bequeathed $1 million to benefit several initiatives across the university upon her death.

“Sue Meyer was a multi-faceted leader, a generous philanthropist, and an exceptional Ross alumnus,” said Edward J. Frey Dean of Business Sharon F. Matusik. “Her legacy will surely live on, in part, through generations of students who receive her endowed scholarships at Ross.”

Sue once said this about why she chose to support scholarships at Ross: "If my scholarship can touch somebody every year over 20 years, that's 20 people. I hope that each of those people will be motivated to help one or two others. If that happens it continues to multiply and I think seeing that power is really important. Once you start giving back, it just becomes part of your DNA."

Another way Sue gave back to Ross was by volunteering as a guest speaker for accounting classes when wanted or needed. For example, a few years ago, she spoke to a class for Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning Catherine (“Cathy”) Shakespeare.

“Sue was a wonderful speaker,” Shakespeare said. “She made accounting come alive and connected many current events and policy issues to accounting, giving the students a much deeper understanding of some of the issues she dealt with as a leader of the profession. The students lapped it up.”

Shakespeare elaborated on Meyer’s love of Ross and the university at large: “It was well known that Sue had an unbridled passion for Michigan; she basically bled Maize and Blue.”