This week, Colorado College announced that alumnus William “Bro” Adams, chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, will give the commencement address for the Class of 2015.
Adams is a leader in higher education in the United States and a strong advocate for the humanities and liberal arts.
A native of Birmingham, Michigan, Adams received his undergraduate degree in philosophy at Colorado College and Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Cruz History of Consciousness Program.
Adam’s formal education was interrupted by three years of service in the Army, including one year in Vietnam.
Following his education, Adams studied in France as a Fulbright Scholar, then went on to teach political philosophy at Santa Clara University in California then University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. After various other leadership roles at Wesleyan University and Stanford University, he served as president of Bucknell University in 1995 and of Colby College in 2000.
Adams has also been at the center of the national conversation on the cost and value of a liberal arts education, serving as senior president of the New England Small College Athletic Conference.
Colorado College will also award three honorary degrees to individuals who have made exceptional contributions in their fields.
The first of these is Bruce McCaw, who attended Colorado College for two years and is now an accomplished businessman and generous philanthropist. He currently serves as co-chair of Talaris Institute, a nonprofit organization that supports parents and caregivers in raising socially and emotionally healthy children.
The second honorary degree will be awarded to Paul Morin, director of the Antarctic Geospatial Information Center at the University of Minnesota. Morin is regarded as one of the top visualization technology developers in the geosciences.
The final honorary degree will be awarded to Pam Shockley-Zalaback, who has served as chancellor of the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs since 2002. She has played a leading role in promoting economic growth and access to higher education in the Pikes Peak region.