News

King’s College Names 2007 Honorary Degree Recipients

Date: March 27, 2007

The University of King’s College is pleased to announce that five individuals will be distinguished with honorary degrees, the highest award conferred by the College, at its Encaenia Ceremonies on Thursday, May 19, 2007 at the Cathedral Church of All Saints in Halifax.

The Reverend Doctor Robert Darwin Crouse will receive a Doctor of Divinity. A King's alumnus (BA 1951), Dr. Crouse is an internationally-recognized medieval scholar who has contributed greatly to the development of modern King’s. Educated at King’s, Trinity College at the University of Toronto, and Harvard University, Dr. Crouse went on to teach at Bishop’s College, Dalhousie University and, finally, King’s. He was one of the early contributors to the development of the Foundation Year Programme at King’s, which has spawned the development of a series of interdisciplinary program offerings. He has been the Visiting Professor of Patristics at The Pontifical Patristics Institute, the Augustinianum in Rome, Italy – the first non-Catholic to do so. Dr. Crouse has been active with the Anglican Church throughout his life. Currently, he is a member of the Primate’s Theological Commission and assists in the Parishes of Petite Riviere and New Dublin, near his home in Crousetown, playing the organ. The University is pleased to recognize Dr. Crouse, who connects us back to our historic ties with the Anglican community that provided the solid foundation from which King’s has evolved.

Vice-Admiral Glenn V. Davidson will receive a Doctor of Civil Laws. A King’s alumnus (BA 1973), Vice-Admiral Davidson has served as the Canadian Military Representative to the Military Committee at NATO Headquarters in Brussels since 2004. His military career began in 1970 when he enrolled in the Naval Reserve at HMCS Scotian. He joined the Regular Force in 1974 after graduating from King’s, and specialized in navigation and air control and quickly moved through the ranks. In 1984, then Lt-Commander Davidson attended the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College in Toronto. Since that time, he has received several more promotions and served in posts military, diplomatic and political in nature. As a distinguished alumnus, Vice-Admiral Davidson carries on the King’s tradition of service and leadership, representing values that have sustained King’s throughout its history.

Professor Natalie Zemon Davis will receive a Doctor of Civil Laws, in recognition of her important work as a social historian. Her research and teaching has helped change the way in which historical research in the early modern period is conducted. Her archival research taps into unconventional sources that provide us with a window into the life experience of people of a time. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Davis was educated at Smith College, Radcliffe College, and the University of Michigan. She is professor emeritus of history at Princeton and currently adjunct professor at the University of Toronto. She has published widely and is known for her insightful and accessible style. King’s is delighted to honour Dr. Davis as a fellow academic with an interest in the early modern period that works in an interdisciplinary manner, reflecting the intellectual life of the College.

Ms. Naomi Klein will receive a Doctor of Civil Laws. An author, activist and film-maker from Montreal, Ms. Klein studied at the University of Toronto and now makes her home in that city. She has said that her motivation for becoming an activist dates back to the 1989 École Polytechnique Massacre. She was ranked 11th in the 2005 Global Intellectuals Poll, a list of the world’s top public intellectuals compiled by Prospect Magazine, in conjunction with Foreign Policy Magazine. While an undergraduate, Ms Klein began writing, and has served as the editor of THIS Magazine and a columnist with the Toronto Star. In 2000, Ms. Klein published No Logo, which for many has become the rallying cry for the anti-Globalization movement. In 2002, she published Fences and Windows, a collection of articles and speeches. She has continued to contribute to publications such as The Globe and Mail, The Guardian, and The Nation. In 2004, she and her husband, Avi Lewis, released a documentary film called The Take. Her next book, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism will be published worldwide in September 2007. The engagement with the broader world Ms. Klein demonstrates is reflective of a long-standing value held by King’s students.

Ms. Margo Pullen Sly will be made an Honorary Fellow of the College. Ms. Pullen Sly retired from King’s last year after serving as assistant to four Presidents over a 20-year period. During this period, she provided an important point of continuity as the College went through some dramatic changes. For many visitors and friends of the College, Ms. Pullen Sly was the face of King’s. She served King’s with grace and style, and helped King’s move into the future while maintaining a strong respect for its historic past. A Nova Scotia native raised in a naval family, she has two adult children, one of whom graduated from King’s in 1999.

Dr. William Barker, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of King’s College, is pleased with this year’s recipients. “Convocation has selected degree recipients that reflect many facets of the King’s identity – service and engagement with the broader community, interdisciplinary academic pursuit, and a connection with spirituality. The students will find this year’s choices memorable.”