Alumni applaud Faculty Senate vote on honorary degrees
Alumni applaud Faculty Senate vote on honorary degrees
The recent vote by the Faculty Senate to reject the request that Cornell scrap a long-standing tradition and grant honorary degrees deserves our heartfelt congratulations. That it was resoundingly voted down reflects, I think, the feeling of most alumni that the value of their earned degrees should not be diluted by any not earned but conferred for other reasons. Well done, Faculty Senate, and thank you.
Jim Hazzard '50
Ithaca, New York
Ed. Note: Jim Hazzard is a former director of alumni affairs at Cornell.
Congratulations to the Faculty Senate for voting against granting honorary degrees. There are many things about Cornell that make me proud, and the tradition of granting degrees only to those who have worked for the honor is one of them. At commencement time, the subject of honorary degrees often comes up among friends and colleagues. Not many non-Cornellians are aware of the University's policy. When I explain it, they are always impressed.
Last year I went to a grandson's graduation at a prestigious New England liberal arts college. As I yawned through the second honorary degree recipient's address, I slowly dehydrated in the hot sun and remembered with great pleasure the Cornell commencements I have attended. No long speeches! Another reason to avoid honoraries.
Claire Desaix Simpson '55
Moorestown, New Jersey
Achievement is measured at Cornell by earning your degree the old-fashioned way: for academic work performed. Simply said, it would not be fair to issue a degree to someone who has not earned it. Perhaps it is time for the Board of Trustees to re-affirm the 1886 resolution in opposition to the granting of honorary degrees, thus ensuring that this will continue to be a principle of our beloved Cornell. Ezra Cornell and A. D. White would certainly approve.
Eddie Cruet '85
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Not Impressed
Re: "High & Dry" (May/June 2008). I just can't believe that Cornell is supporting the utterly stupid effort to rebuild in New Orleans's Lower Ninth Ward. Anybody who chooses to live below the water-line like that is beyond all rational help!
Tom Nisbet '60
Alexandria, Virginia
Soft News?
"Nose for News" (Currents, May/June 2008) is a perfect example of a problem in American journalism today. Beth Saulnier and her interview subject, [ABC News reporter] Kate Snow '91, both follow the "adoring journalism" model and apparently care little about a critical view of their subjects. This makes it easier for them to get access, which of course enhances their careers—but it does little to help the public. A good example can be seen in Snow's reply about being too soft on Hillary Clinton, in which she says she was also accused of being "too friendly to the Bush Administration" and had "taken it from both sides." I interpret that as meaning she'll cozy up to anyone for a good interview.
Scott Peer '80
Glendale, California
Infringement
Carol Kammen praises Andrew Dickson White for supposedly having said that he would never sanction anything that would infringe on the privileges of Jewish students ("Any Person…," May/June 2008). However, in 1949 (and probably before) geographic means were used to discover which applicants to Cornell were Jewish. If you were from, say, Rochester or Buffalo—no problem. But several brilliant young women who were top of their high school classes in New York City were turned down. Yet they were so bright, they won the Cornell Scholarship and had to be accepted.
Joan Kanel Slomanson '53
New York, New York
Correction—May/June 2008
"Top Jobs Filled," From the Hill, page 14: In a news item about the appointments of Joe Thomas as dean of the Johnson School and William Fry as dean of the faculty, we ran a photo of Joe Thomas—but the caption said "William Fry." We regret the error. Here are the two deans, correctly identified.