Second appearing Temple College president JoAnne Epps, 72, rushes off stage earlier than collapsing at memorial occasion – earlier than dying in hospital

Appearing Temple College president JoAnne A. Epps has died aged 72 after collapsing on stage at an occasion on Tuesday afternoon.

Epps was transported to Temple College Hospital in Philadelphia the place she was pronounced lifeless round 3.15 pm, the college stated.

She was participating in a memorial service for Charles L. Blockson, the curator emeritus of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Assortment on the college, when she out of the blue collapsed on stage.

A uniformed police officer carried her off the stage and the ceremony was quickly suspended.

Appearing Temple College president JoAnne A. Epps has died aged 72 after collapsing on stage at an occasion on Tuesday afternoon

Epps was participating in a memorial service at Temple College (pictured) when she out of the blue collapsed whereas on stage

Her loss of life was confirmed by the college in an announcement which learn: ‘It’s with deep heartbreak that we write to tell you that Temple College Appearing President JoAnne A. Epps out of the blue handed away this afternoon.’ 

‘There are not any phrases that may describe the gravity and disappointment of this loss,’ Temple board chairman Mitchell Morgan stated within the assertion. 

‘President Epps was a loyal servant and good friend who represented the perfect elements of Temple.

‘She spent practically 40 years of her life serving this college, and it goes with out saying her loss will reverberate via the group for years to come back.’

Ken Kaiser, senior vice chairman and chief working officer at Temple, declined to invest about Epps’ well being previous to her collapse.

‘We’re not conscious that President Epps had any well being points,’ Kaiser stated at a information convention.

Temple College Provost Gregory Mandel choked up as he described Epps.

‘We’re all in deep grief and confused. To know Joanne is to be her good friend,’ Mandel stated on the information convention. 

‘She was probably the most remarkably compassionate and caring people I’ve ever identified.’

Mandel stated the college’s Board of Trustees can be assembly tomorrow to ‘put collectively a plan for us as we work via this transition.’

Epps was talking at a memorial occasion for Blockson, who had died on June 14 aged 89, earlier than she collapsed. 

The occasion was quickly suspended when she collapsed however resumed with Kimmika Williams Witherspoon, a former school senate president, who stepped in to learn Epps’ remarks. 

Epps, Temple’s former regulation college dean and provost, was named to the put up in April following the resignation of Jason Wingard who resigned in March after main the 33,600-student college since July 2021.

Wingard, the college’s first Black president, stepped down after lower than two years in cost following a surge of violence that affected the campus. 

Epps’ tenure started after Temple College officer Christopher Fitzgerald, 31, was shot lifeless in February after pursuing three folks wearing black and carrying masks in an space the place there had been a spate of robberies. 

She was transported to Temple College Hospital in Philadelphia the place she was pronounced lifeless round 3.15 pm, the college stated 

Temple College Provost Gregory Mandel choked up as he described Epps. ‘We’re all in deep grief and confused. To know Joanne is to be her good friend,’ He stated at a information convention

Temple College police officer Christopher Fitzgerald, 31, was gunned down on Saturday night time allegedly by 18-year-old Miles Pfeffer, 18, who was arraigned on a slew of costs

Kaiser stated Epps began out working at Temple’s bookstore 40 years in the past and devoted herself to bettering the college.

Epps vowed to give attention to enrollment and security resulting from spiraling crime close to the north Philadelphia campus and different points throughout her predecessor’s tumultuous tenure. 

She instructed The Philadelphia Inquirer, which reported enrollment was down 14 p.c since 2019, that she believed she was chosen partially for her ‘capacity to kind of calm waters.’

‘I’m clearly humbled and excited and actually wanting ahead to having the ability to make a contribution to the college that I so love,’ Epps instructed the newspaper. She stated she wouldn’t be a candidate for the everlasting place.

The Temple Affiliation of College Professionals labor union recalled Epps’ private contact.

‘I bear in mind her strolling into my workplace this April, and chatting with me one-on-one about how we may work collectively to make Temple a greater place,’ union president Jeffrey Doshna stated in an announcement.

Gov. Josh Shapiro described Epps as ‘a robust power and fixed ambassador for Temple College for practically 4 a long time.’

‘Dropping her is heartbreaking for Philadelphia,’ Shapiro stated in a put up on X, previously referred to as Twitter. ‘Lori and I are holding JoAnne’s family members in our hearts proper now. Could her reminiscence be a blessing.’

Kaiser recalled leaving the workplace when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and Temple was shutting down.

‘It was our final day within the workplace, we had been collectively and I stated, ‘OK, I will see you in a pair weeks,’ and I did not actually see her for 2 years,’ Kaiser stated.

He later instructed her that if he had identified they would not see one another for 2 years, he would have given her a hug. 

Invoice Cosby, who has been accused of a slew of sexual crimes by at the very least 60 girls – all of which he denies, served as a trustee at Temple College from 1982 till 2014.