Mayor, City of Detroit
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
1980
Citation:
No individual today personifies as well the vitality and dedication of the people of Detroit to the spirit of renaissance which has come to characterize this city in recent years. Indeed, as Mayor of Detroit for most of the last decade, you have been instrumental in creating and nurturing that spirit. And yet, this achievement is only the pinnacle of a long ladder of personal achievements in which we have all been fortunate to share. For your life has always reflected a deep commitment to the working people of this city: first in the early struggles of the United Auto Workers, then in your role as Executive Secretary of the National Negro Labor Council, as a delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention, as a State Senator, a member of the Democratic National Committee, Vice-Chairman of the National Democratic Party, and during two terms as Mayor. Because of this commitment, you have managed to reunite a once strife-torn city and breath into it a spirit of new life. The testaments of your accomplishment are visible throughout the city, from Detroit's riverfront to its many neighborhoods. But equally important, you have restored to its citizens, their pride in Detroit through such successful efforts to raise its esteem as attracting one of the nation's most prestigious conventions here. As a part of the city to which you have contributed so much, the University of Detroit takes great pleasure in conferring upon you the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. Commencement, University of Detroit, May 10, 1980.