Thursday, March 28, 2024

Governor Northam pledges support to higher education as he receives honorary degree from W&M

Governor Ralph Northam addresses the William & Mary community at the 325th anniversary of their royal charter. (Andrew Harris/WYDaily)
Governor Ralph Northam addresses the William & Mary community at the 325th anniversary of their royal charter.
(Andrew Harris/WYDaily)

Governor Northam visited William & Mary for its “birthday” Friday, but it was the governor who received a gift – an honorary degree from the college.

Northam was the keynote speaker for the college’s Charter Day – also known as the 325th anniversary of William & Mary receiving their royal charter from King William III and Queen Mary II in 1693.

Northam spoke in Kaplan Arena shortly after 4 p.m. Friday. The governor said supporting education across the commonwealth will be a priority for his administration.

“Our goal is to make education and training attainable for every Virginian,” Northam said. “That helps individuals as well as the state.”

He also reminded the audience that he is a graduate of Virginia public schools and emphasized the need to expand early childhood education programs.

“I want every Virginia child to have that same opportunity for a good start and a good education,” Northam said.

Northam praised the college for its leading role in higher education in the commonwealth. He stated that with college degrees moving further out of financial reach for many, he would like to see more Virginia colleges and universities adopt policies similar to the William & Mary Promise, which locks in a new Virginia student’s tuition for four years.

“We could not tell the story of Virginia nor the story of America without William & Mary,” Northam said. “…Education is a huge economic driver. Colleges and universities like William & Mary attract talent and investment to their community and to the state.”

He also reminded the audience his son Wes graduated from William & Mary in 2010.

“While this is my first honorary degree, Pam and I did pay tuition for 4 years,” Northam said, to a round of laughter.

William & Mary also issued honorary degrees to Trudier Harris, who was the college’s first tenured African-American faculty member, and Frances G. McGlothlin ’66 and Hunter J. Smith ’51, two alumni who have been exceedingly generous to the school.

Before student choral group No Ceiling closed the ceremony with an acapella rendition of Happy Birthday, President Taylor Reveley commemorated the college’s 325’s birthday.

“Well done, alma mater of the nation,” Reveley said, “Well done beloved William & Mary…We are very proud of you, and you have never looked better at 325.”

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