Harvard University will bestow an honorary degree on Senator Edward M. Kennedy Dec. 1 at a special convocation ceremony, his office said yesterday.
Kennedy had been scheduled to receive the degree at Harvard's commencement last spring but could not attend because he was recuperating from brain surgery. Kennedy, who graduated from Harvard in 1956, was "enormously grateful" for the honor.
At the graduation ceremony, Harvard's president, Drew Faust, described Kennedy as an "extraordinary person" who is "admired by colleagues on both sides of the aisle as one of the nation's most able, energetic, and influential lawmakers."
"He has without doubt been one of our most tireless advocates for education - and higher education in particular - passionately committed to opportunity for all, and to the excellence of America's universities," Faust said.
The senator has maintained close ties to his alma mater, helping to create Harvard's Institute of Politics - which honors his brother, President John F. Kennedy - and serving on its board for decades.
The senator, who has been battling a severe form of brain cancer from his home on Cape Cod, returned to his residence in Washington late last month, a sign that his treatments have been progressing well.
The Massachusetts Democrat, diagnosed about six months ago, had been convalescing here since the tumor was discovered and will continue treatments in the nation's capital.
Kennedy joins an elite group who've received honorary degrees at special Harvard convocations, including George Washington, Andrew Jackson, James Monroe, Winston Churchill, and Nelson Mandela.
The ceremony, at Sanders Theatre, will feature Faust and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer as speakers, and musical performances by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Harvard students.
Tickets will be distributed through a lottery that runs Thursday through Nov. 20. Those interested in attending the convocation can visit www.iop.harvard.edu to apply.
Kennedy had been scheduled to receive the degree at Harvard's commencement last spring but could not attend because he was recuperating from brain surgery. Kennedy, who graduated from Harvard in 1956, was "enormously grateful" for the honor.
At the graduation ceremony, Harvard's president, Drew Faust, described Kennedy as an "extraordinary person" who is "admired by colleagues on both sides of the aisle as one of the nation's most able, energetic, and influential lawmakers."
"He has without doubt been one of our most tireless advocates for education - and higher education in particular - passionately committed to opportunity for all, and to the excellence of America's universities," Faust said.
The senator has maintained close ties to his alma mater, helping to create Harvard's Institute of Politics - which honors his brother, President John F. Kennedy - and serving on its board for decades.
The senator, who has been battling a severe form of brain cancer from his home on Cape Cod, returned to his residence in Washington late last month, a sign that his treatments have been progressing well.
The Massachusetts Democrat, diagnosed about six months ago, had been convalescing here since the tumor was discovered and will continue treatments in the nation's capital.
Kennedy joins an elite group who've received honorary degrees at special Harvard convocations, including George Washington, Andrew Jackson, James Monroe, Winston Churchill, and Nelson Mandela.
The ceremony, at Sanders Theatre, will feature Faust and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer as speakers, and musical performances by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Harvard students.
Tickets will be distributed through a lottery that runs Thursday through Nov. 20. Those interested in attending the convocation can visit www.iop.harvard.edu to apply.
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