Alzatta Fogg

RECIPIENT OF THE DAVID ROCKEFELLER AWARD FOR EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE

Alzatta Fogg has been a beloved member of the Rockefeller University community for 60 years. Always a beacon of warmth, kindness, and friendship, she is an exemplar of the civility and collegiality that distinguish this university’s culture. Ms. Fogg joined Rockefeller as a waitress in August 1960 and moved swiftly through the ranks to serve as assistant supervisor and then manager, first in the Welch Hall and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Dining Rooms, then the Weiss Research Building Cafeteria and, finally, returning to the Abby Dining Room.

During her years at the university, Ms. Fogg has brought a very special human touch to Rockefeller. Her generous welcome and brilliant smile have disarmed everyone she encounters—from first time visitors to resident Nobel laureates—and helped them all to feel more a part of the university family. She still presides over the Abby several days a week, lifting the spirits of diners with her characteristic blend of courtesy and charm.

When Ms. Fogg first arrived at Rockefeller, the graduate program was only five years old. She quickly became a friend and mentor to many of the students. Over the years, she has nurtured generations of doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, serving as counselor in times of stress and co-celebrant in times of joy. With unflagging dedication, sage advice, and good humor, she has also supported the faculty, administrators, and university presidents, earning the love and admiration of the entire Rockefeller community.

In 2001, Ms. Fogg was named an honorary alumna of the university. She remains the only person in Rockefeller’s history to have received this distinction. In the almost two decades since, she has continued to inspire a deep sense of loyalty to the university and its mission.

Born in Savannah, Georgia, Ms. Fogg came to New York City as a young child in 1942 and has called the city home ever since. She is a quintessential New Yorker who enjoys music and loves the theatre and visiting museums. Ms. Fogg is actively involved in her community as a volunteer and a member of the Canaan Baptist Church of Christ and she is the mother of two daughters – Wanda and Regina.