Scott Receives Honorary Degree from William & Mary
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Last week, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, received an honorary degree from the College of William & Mary. Honorary degrees are awarded by William & Mary at Charter Day and Commencement ceremonies as well as other special events to distinguished individuals.
When conferring Congressman Scott with the honorary degree at the Charter Day ceremony, William & Mary noted: "your 43 years in the Virginia General Assembly and in the United States Congress exemplify the highest values of service. As the first African-American elected to Congress from the Commonwealth since Reconstruction and the second African-American elected to Congress in Virginia's history, you have served Virginia's Third Congressional District since 1993 with distinction…In Congress, you have strengthened U.S. laws and policies through more than 28 years on the House Committee on Education and Labor, which you currently chair. You advocate for issues and for people, whether in the workforce development, fair wages, affordable health care crime prevention, consumer protection and reduced student loan debt. Your tireless work to desegregate schools opened doors and opportunities…Robert Cortez Scott, you have served your community, state and nation brilliantly and forcefully. Countless organizations have recognized your dedication to public service and William & Mary is honored to join them."
In his acceptance remarks, Congressman Scott noted the importance of higher education:"College is the great equalizer in America. And if the American dream is to be a reality, we all have to do everything we can to ensure all students have affordable access to higher education. So I want to express my gratitude for receiving this recognition from William & Mary, as the second oldest college in the country."
Other 2022 honorees at the 329th Charter Day were Howard J. Busbee, a former faculty member and dean of the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, as well as Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Video prepared by William & Mary about Congressman Scott being conferred an honorary degree can be viewed below.
Full video of the 2022 William & Mary Charter Day ceremony can be viewed below.