The French Consul of Boston will honor Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures Norman Shapiro with the title of Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) at a ceremony at Harvard University on Tuesday. Christophe Guilhou, Consul General of France in Boston, will present him with the honor at a reception in the Adams House at Harvard, where Shapiro lived as an undergraduate.
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, which was established in 1957 in France, recognizes eminent artists, writers, and those who have contributed to the spread of French culture. It consists of three ranks, Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), and Commandeur (Commander), which is the highest rank. Shapiro will join other notable Officiers such as singer Van Morrison and New York Times fashion photographer Bill Cunningham. Commandeurs of the Order include notable individuals including T. S. Eliot, Bob Dylan, and Clint Eastwood.
Shapiro first found out about the honor last spring. He said the consulate in Boston insisted on scheduling a ceremony to celebrate the honor despite his wishes.
“I didn’t want a big reception,” Shapiro said. “I’d be happy to go and shake a few hands and have a cup of champagne.”
Shapiro has taught at Wesleyan since 1960 and specializes in French translation. He holds a B.A., an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Harvard, and he spends many weekends in the Harvard library. As a Writing and Theater Advisor at Harvard, he informally tutors students in French writing and translating. Once a semester, students put on a play he has translated, often a French farce.
Chase Carpenter, a Harvard senior, organized the event and praised Shapiro’s contributions to the Harvard community.
“Professor Shapiro has been a respected and active member of the Adams House community at Harvard University, and it is truly fitting that he be honored here, where he did so much of his work translating,” Carpenter wrote in an email to The Argus. “To be promoted to the rank of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic is truly the achievement of a lifetime, and it is such an honor to have the ceremony here where Professor Shapiro spent his undergraduate days.”
Several of Shapiro’s colleagues at Harvard plan on attending the ceremony.
“My friends up there said ‘Oh, you’re being knighted?’” Shapiro said. “I said, ‘No, I’m not being knighted, the French don’t have any knights.’”
Wesleyan Adjunct Lecturer in Romance Languages & Literatures Catherine Ostrow also plans on attending the reception.
“I believe it is a high honor and a great distinction for Norman,” she said.
Shapiro anticipates that the ceremony will involve the Consul General introducing him and presenting the award, a short thank you speech, and then a champagne reception. He will also be awarded a medal associated with the Officer rank.
“I’ll certainly wear the medal…on Halloween,” he said. “I’m proud of it, but it’s not something that I’m going to wear very frequently. Although I am told that if you have the [medal], and you’re in France, it’s good for getting seated first at most restaurants.”
Despite the honor, Shapiro remains humble about his accomplishments.
“Somebody obviously thought I’d been doing something to spread French culture,” he said. “It’s a pretty impressive thing and I’m happy, but at the same time I feel a little bit silly because I just never expected this.”