At Princeton University, a day to honor stars and scholars

Basketball great Bill Russell and filmmaker Spike Lee are among honorees.

By: Jeff Milgram
   With great pomp, dignity and warmth, Princeton University held its 254th commencement Tuesday, awarding degrees to 1,084 undergraduates and 648 graduate degrees.
   The ceremony was held under clear blue skies, with temperatures in the 70s, on the front lawn of Nassau Hall.
   Honorary degrees were awarded to seven figures in the sciences, arts, humanities, sports and public affairs, including professional basketball legend Bill Russell and filmmaker Spike Lee.
   During the processional, Mr. Russell was escorted by another pro basketball star, former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, a Princeton alumnus.
   Princeton University President Harold Shapiro received a surprise honorary doctor-of-laws degree for his service to the school. He will retire June 15.
   The degree was conferred by Robert Rawson Jr., chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees.
   President Shapiro received a standing ovation when it was announced that he would receive an honorary degree.
   After receiving his degree, Mr. Lee held the rolled up diploma and pumped it up in the air.
   "He is a teacher whose work shows that silence about racial or personal issues is divisive; that communication, even about painful issues can build a united nation; and that respect for each other can lead us to do the right thing," read Mr. Lee’s citation.
   Mr. Russell, the former Boston Celtics center and the first black to coach a major sports team, was honored for his work for racial equality.
   "Known as a gentle man and a gentleman, he continues to be a voice of common sense and of courage who sifts our gaze upward to the highest ideals of American life," Mr. Russell’s citation read.
   Other honorary degrees were given to Kevin Gover, former U.S. assistant secretary for Indian Affairs; Aaron Lemonick, professor emeritus of physics at Princeton; Jane Lubchenco, an environmental scientist; Courtland D. Perkins, a pioneer researcher in aircraft stability; and Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who settled the 230-day Major League Baseball strike of 1995.
   Following long tradition, salutatorian Christopher Bradley gave his address in Latin, a vestige from the days when the entire commencement ceremony was in Latin. Mr. Bradley took the tradition a step further, dropping his black academic robe to reveal a toga. He also donned a laurel wreath.
   "Now there’s a sense of style," President Shapiro said after Mr. Bradley’s speech.
   Because few students know Latin, the graduates followed Mr. Bradley’s speech using a printed translation, complete with footnotes telling them when to applaud, laugh, shout or weep. Guests do not have the translation and are left in the dark.
   For the first time in its history, Princeton had two valedictory speakers, Christine McLeavey and Jared Kramer. The committee that selects the valedictorian said it could not decide between the two.
   In his final commencement address as president, President Shapiro said graduates face the same challenges as the university.
   "The great challenge that each of us here today faces as we enter the next chapter of our lives is the same challenge that confronts this university as it continues to remake itself to meet its ever-evolving responsibilities," President Shapiro said.
   A particular challenge, he said, is to prepare, as a society and as an academic institution, for the moral challenges posed by rapid advances in science and engineering.
   "In the 21st century, scientists and engineers will continue to inform us regarding what we can do with our ever-expanding knowledge base, but it is our shared responsibility to decide what we should do."
   During the commencement ceremony, Princeton also honored faculty members and graduate students for excellence in teaching, as well as four outstanding New Jersey secondary school teachers.
   During the processional, President Shapiro marched alongside his successor, Professor Shirley Tilghman.
   The proceedings began with applause for the parents and grandparents of the graduates.
   "I’d like to see the members of the class of 2001 and the graduate students to really show an appreciation of your families," President Shapiro urged.
   President Shapiro also asked for applause for Provost Jeremiah Ostriker, who is leaving the university in July to take a professorship at Cambridge University in England.
   Professor Tilghman, a molecular biologist, received a loud round of applause when she was introduced.
   As each group of graduates was announced, President Shapiro doffed his renaissance-style hat and conferred the degrees in Latin.
   In all, 590 men and 494 women received undergraduate degrees. Of those, 921 received bachelor-of-arts degrees and 163 received bachelor-of-science degrees.
   Princeton also awarded 648 advanced degrees — 267 doctorates and 381 master’s degrees.
   Neither Mr. Russell nor Mr. Lee would comment publicly on the honorary degrees. But Sen. Bradley was pleased by the honor bestowed upon Mr. Russell.
   "I think he’s really the greatest winner of all time. It’s great that Princeton acknowledged that," he said.