Board of Visitors minutes June 14, 1996 | ||
REPORT BY THE PRESIDENT
The President reported that on June 8, Oxford University conferred the D.Litt.--Doctor of Letters--on former President Edgar F. Shannon, Jr. Three of his daughters, two sons-in-law, and several grandchildren accompanied him to England for the ceremony.
The D.Litt. is a rare academic distinction, different from both "regular" earned degrees and the common honorary degree. Its purpose is to recognize the most distinguished lifetime scholarship among Oxford degree-holders, an academic career award. The requirement for selection is "an original contribution to the advancement of knowledge of such substance and distinction as to give the candidate authoritative status in some branch or branches of learning".
Mr. Shannon is a noted scholar in 19th century English literature. His principal works fall in three categories: critical writings on the novel, bibliographical studies, and works on Lord Tennyson and his times.
Mr. Shannon studied at Merton College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar from Virginia, earning his doctoral degree (D.Phil.) in 1949.
Board of Visitors minutes June 14, 1996 | ||