After a public lecture in which she discussed the importance of democracy and supporting female workers, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stepped into the Exam Hall this afternoon to receive her honorary degree.
The hour-long ceremony saw Clinton joined by Young Scientist co-founder Tony Scott, Trinity business graduate Paul Drechsler, archivist Ann Martha Rowan and philanthropist James Harris Simons, who also received honorary degrees today.
Following a protest earlier today, students and activists gathered outside the Public Theatre to object to Clinton’s visit and award. Chants of “warmongers not welcome” were heard as Clinton entered the building. However, inside the Exam Hall, the focus was on the achievements and successes of her long political career.
In her oration at the ceremony, Public Orator, Prof Anna Chahoud said of Clinton: “Almost sixty-six million people have given her their vote of confidence, sharing her belief that a true democracy is a society in which everyone is equally valued as a human being.”
Clinton was the first female US presidential candidate from a major party, going on to be defeated by President Donald Trump. Today, Chahoud praised her vision of society for being one in which “women have the power to effect a transformative change towards development, justice, and peace”.
Drechsler went on to be named Chief Executive of a prominent UK construction firm following his time in Trinity, and has been closely involved with the development of the Trinity Business School. “This is not merely a story of personal success; it is the celebration of an engineer devoted to making our children’s dreams come true”, said Chahoud.
A published author and the driving force behind the Dictionary of Irish Architects, which the Public Orator called “a democratic masterpiece of Digital Humanities”, Rowan’s architectural achievements were celebrated at this afternoon’s ceremony.
A co-founder of the Young Scientist Exhibition, an institution that has been replicated in many EU countries since it began in Ireland in 1963, Scott was praised for his “ability to stimulate an understanding of the physical world and the role of humanity in it”. The former Dean of Science in University College Dublin (UCD) remains a prominent figure in Irish science education.
Amongst the philanthropic activities Simons was praised for today were his contributions to the fields of mathematics and science through the funding generated by his foundation. Chadoud said that mathematics have taken the esteemed academic “through a marvellous journey of discovery, distinction, and boundless benefaction”.
Today’s recipients of honorary degrees will join the likes of former Vice-President of the US Joe Biden, journalist and broadcaster Olivia O’Leary and former rugby player Brian O’Driscoll, all of whom have also been honoured by the College for outstanding achievement in their fields.
