In addition to celebrating the achievements of the class of 2007, the University’s 175th Commencement will include a ceremony recognizing five individuals who, in the words of Vice President of the University and Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Peter Patton, “meet our standards.”
“Part of the reason [we give out honorary degrees] is to put people in front of graduating seniors that serve as role models,” Patton said.
Recipients in the past have ranged from historical figures to celebrities, such as Martin Luther King in 1964 and Clint Eastwood in 2000. Composer Leonard Bernstein received a degree in 1968, as did author Elie Wiesel in 1979.
“It’s a very illustrious list,” Patton said. “We’re very happy to add Jim Lehrer [P ’85] to it.”
Lehrer, father of Lucy Lehrer ’85, and this year’s commencement speaker, will receive a doctorate of human letters. Lehrer is a well-known journalist and author of 16 novels, three plays, and two memoirs. He investigated the Senate Watergate hearings and anchored the Senate Judiciary Committee’s impeachment inquiry of Richard Nixon. He has also been on several news television shows, moderated 10 nationally televised debates, and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. He additionally reported for the Dallas Times-Herald, wrote political columns, and eventually became the city editor. President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton presented him with the National Humanities Medal in 1999.
Another recipient of the doctorate of humane letters degree is Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut congresswoman since 1990. DeLauro has visited the University several times and has supported efforts to realize the Green Street Arts Center. She has advocated for increasing the size of Pell Grants and promoted education accessibility programs like Upward Bound. Since her time in office, $397,000 has gone towards the Ted DeLauro scholarship, helping 397 students get better educations in memory of DeLauro’s late father. DeLauro also sits on the House Appropriations and Budget Committees and is co-chair of the House and Steering Committee. She is a major voice for increasing efforts in cancer research, herself having survived ovarian cancer.
Nobutaka Machimura, a member of the Japanese House of Representatives and former foreign minister of Japan, will also be receiving a doctorate of humane letters. Machimura, who attended the University for a year as an exchange student, has been appointed to the National Land Agency, the Japan External Trade Organization, the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy, and the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry. He has also served as minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports.
Another recipient of the honorary doctorate of humane letters is Alan Dachs ’70 P’98. Dachs is the CEO and president of the investment company Fremont Group and has acted as chair of the Board of Trustees during eight of his 14 years serving. He retired from the Board in 2005 and was elected chair emeritus and trustee emeritus.
“I believe Wesleyan serves an important national purpose — educating and developing men and women who will make crucial decisions affecting our nation and our families,” Dachs wrote on the University campaign website. “Some of our graduates will hold leadership positions that directly influence the lives of millions.”
Another academic to be recognized at the ceremony is Jewel Plummer Cobb, who is receiving an honorary doctorate of science. She has taught at New York University, Sarah Lawrence College, and Connecticut College, climbing the ranks to become Dean of Connecticut College and Douglass College and then president of California State University at Fullerton. Cobb strongly advocates for both minorities and women in science, and in 1993 received a Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions to the advancement of women and underrepresented minorities from the National Science Foundation.
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