Katherine Haley Will

Tufts President Lawrence S. Bacow awarded Katherine Haley Will an honorary degree during the University's 2002 Commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 20, 2002

Medford/Somerville, Mass. [05.20.02] -- Katherine Haley Will, you commenced from The Hill in 1974 and carried forward from Tufts a respect for the liberal arts and a spirit for life-long learning that define your work today. Your scholarship in the field of Victorian literature resulted in master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois, and reflected your own passion for words, and your admiration for their power to speak across generations.

   With impressive credentials in hand, you made education your profession, a natural choice for one who believes that colleges are "living and learning communities… sacred places, almost, devoted to memory and hope, to making meaning together." Those words, from your inaugural address, on the occasion of your appointment to the presidency at Whittier College, underscore your reverence for education as well as your optimism for the impact that learning has on individuals and communities.

   Katherine Haley Will, the enduring values of the liberal arts are manifest in all your endeavors, in your accomplished career, in your active service to college and community, in your scholarship. You learned well the lessons of Tufts and you bring honor to Tufts through your outstanding achievements. It is my distinct pleasure to present to you the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa.