Honorary degrees
Beth Kline Mann | Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I have been ashamed of my alma mater since it gave an honorary degree to Phyllis Shafley, whose hatred of women’s rights [and gays] brings disgrace to a liberal arts university.
I therefore propose that to achieve a balanced viewpoint to the honorary degree process that Washington University bestow Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood an honorary doctorate.
Beth Kline Mann
BA’60, MA ‘66
I propose that we do away with honorary degrees altogether, except as an internal service award.
The Phyllis Schlafly honorary degree generated a lively discussion here on the Student Life comment board, all lost along with all the other comments through Summer 08 when College Publisher Network took over. This included my suggestion that the Schlafly degree was a diversion to distract us from pursuing Lecturer’s Policy reform and a real teaching track, for which real momentum was building on campus. The Schlafly degree will cost them no M-O-N-E-Y, I said, and a wealthy doctor immediately replied that he had just written the university out of his will and instead of five million dollars they will get N-O-T-H-I-N-G. I replied that there must be a way to get the alumni back to the table.
Too bad all this discussion is offline. It was a fine teaching moment for us all.