Princeton University awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski during its 259th Commencement exercises on Tuesday, June 6. Princeton awarded honorary degrees to Dr. Hrabowski and five other distinguished individuals for their contributions to science, health care, athletics, literature, education and civil rights.
At the Commencement exercises, the following information regarding Dr. Hrabowski's professional and personal achievements was cited:
“Freeman Hrabowski's research, publications and life's work focus on science and mathematics education, with special emphasis on nurturing a new generation of minorities in those fields. Hrabowski pursues these goals as president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a position he has held since 1992. High school students from around the United States become part of UMBC's Meyerhoff Scholars program, and 90 percent of the students enrolled in that program graduate in math, engineering or the sciences. Ninety percent of those who graduate go on to graduate school.
“Hrabowski is the co-author of Overcoming the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Young Women and Beating the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Males. Jailed at 12 along with hundreds of other children for participating in the Birmingham Children's March, he helped bring an end to the reign of a racist police commissioner. Losing a best friend in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing of 1963, he helped Spike Lee tell the story in the 1997 documentary "Four Little Girls." Beating the odds himself with a summa cum laude degree in mathematics at 19 and his Ph.D. by 24, he has spent his life teaching that the best weapon is knowledge and the best training ground is the classroom and research lab. His programs to nurture and support young African Americans have helped them succeed in unprecedented numbers, proving his theorem that it is ‘cool to be smart.’ ’’
In addition to the degree awarded to Dr. Hrabowski, Princeton University conferred degrees to John Bonner, Princeton's George Moffett Professor of Biology Emeritus; Paul Farmer, medical anthropologist, physician and founding director of the international organization Partners In Health; Mia Hamm, U.S. women's soccer legend; Seamus Heaney, Nobel laureate poet, translator and essayist; and Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America.
At Princeton’s Class Day ceremony on June 5, traditionally held the day before Commencement exercises, former U.S. President Bill Clinton addressed graduating seniors.
Additional 2006 Honorary Degrees Awarded Dr. Hrabowski:
During its 115th Commencement on Friday, May 26, Goucher College awarded honorary degrees to both UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski and his wife, Jacqueline (Jackie) Hrabowski, vice president and director of community relations at T. Rowe Price. The honorary degrees were conferred in recognition of the couple’s commitment to education and to developing a strong workforce in Maryland. Both Dr. and Mrs. Hrabowski gave brief remarks. For details, please see: www.goucher.edu/x9632.xml.
Earlier in May, Dr. Hrabowski received the Columbia University Teachers College Medal for Distinguished Service to Education. For more information on the event, which took place on the Columbia campus in New York City on May 16, please see: www.tc.columbia.edu/news/article.htm?id=5617.
