TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Matt Branam, the president of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, suffered a medical emergency in his office Friday and died after arriving at a hospital, university spokesman Dale Long said.
The cause of death for Branam, 57, wasn't immediately known, Long said. He said he didn't have details about the medical emergency, other than it happened Friday morning.
The university's board of trustees Chairman William Fenoglio asked the school's 2,000 students to join him in offering condolences to Branam's family.
"Our loss today saddens us deeply. Matt Branam was unique and talented; as a graduate of Rose-Hulman, he brought a level of passion for the school that created new energy on our campus," Fenoglio said. "He was a visionary who celebrated the wonders of Rose-Hulman and enthusiastically shared them with people throughout Indiana and across the country."
Gov. Mitch Daniels called Branam's death a loss to the state.
"It's especially sad because this native son of our state came home to us after an illustrious career elsewhere, and we had all looked forward to many more years of his leadership. He'll be a very difficult person to replace," Daniels said.
Branam was a Terre Haute native who graduated from Rose-Hulman in 1979 with a civil engineering degree. He had been serving as interim president for six months when he was elected the 14th president of the engineering school in 2009.
Branam worked at UPS for 24 years and was the vice president in 1996 when he left to become the chief operating officer at the American Red Cross under Elizabeth Dole. Before becoming Rose-Hulman's interim president, he had been as a business consultant in Great Falls, Va.
He is survived by three adult children.
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