Kudos: Rite of Spring

The academic gown, once worn every day for warmth in unheated northern European universities, needs restyling each 50 years or so to keep academe from feeling too stodgy. Last week, at graduation, Columbia showed its new doctoral dress. Slate grey with a facing of black velvet replaces the black that is customary in the U.S. A four-cornered soft tarn with a gold tassel replaces the stiff mortarboard. The university thoughtfully advised academic plumage-watchers to note the border of the hood for "the color indicating the discipline to which the degree pertains: arts and letters, including journalism, white; theology, scarlet; law, purple; medicine, green; philosophy, dark blue; science, yellow; architecture and the fine arts, brown; music, pink; dentistry, lilac; engineering, orange; pharmacy, olive; business, drab; library service, lemon; education, light blue; international affairs, peacock blue; social work, citron."

With that polychromatic reminder, the season for kudos was on. As usual, a few honorary degrees seemed like favors for native sons, a few like come-ons for endowment money, a few like means of publicizing an obscure school by honoring a name larger than its own. A certain amount of academic backslapping was noticeable, the kind C. P. Snow had in mind in The Affair when he wrote, "Cambridge dons are not distinguished men. They are just men who confer distinctions upon one another." Yet most honorary degrees are the well-earned accolades of an open society to men of merit. Noteworthy last week:

Brown University

SIR DAVID ORMSBY GORE, British Ambassador to the U.S LL.D.

California State Colleges JOHN F. KENNEDY, President of the U.S LL.D.

He has, with great courage, confronted the issue of survival of civilization and of freedom for our people and all peoples.

Catholic University

ROBERT I. GANNON, S.J., former president of Fordham University. . .L.H.D.

Colby College

EARL WARREN, Chief Justice of the U.S LL.D.

Columbia University HAMILTON FISH ARMSTRONG, editor,

author, diplomat LL.D.

WALTER HALLSTEIN, president of the European Economic Community..LL.D. Luis MUNOZ MARIN, Governor, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico LL.D.

DEAN RUSK, Secretary of State. . LL.D. MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN, President, U.N.I TthGeneral Assembly..LL.D.

You have helped the West to know the East in a world grown suddenly small.

Curry College

JOSEPH C. CRESCIO, former captain of detectives, Massachusetts state police, who rounded up 18 bank robbers in 1950-51 Sc.D.

Franklin and Marshall College ROY E. LARSEN, chairman, Executive

Committee, Time Inc L.H.D.

He exemplifies in his many activities the modern public-spirited man at his best, the distinguished practical man of affairs, politissimus propriis humanitatis artibus . . . WILLIAM W. SCRANTON, Governor of

Pennsylvania LL.D.

Applauded by a national audience admiring (and envious of) his virtuosity on the dance floor, respected by political supporters and foes alike for the skill and understanding-even the austerity -with which he conducts governmental affairs, he comes to his high office thoroughly trained in the requirements and the responsibilities of the man in public office.