Northwestern withdrew an offer to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, for an honorary degree this year, Al Cubbage, vice president for university relations, said Wednesday night.
At a Dallas church on Sunday, Wright, the former minister of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, said NU planned on presenting him with a doctorate in sacred theology. After controversial clips of Wright’s sermons were widely disseminated, NU withdrew the offer, according to an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“The president of the university called and told me he was withdrawing the degree because I was not patriotic,” Wright told the congregation of Friendship-West Baptist Church, the article said.
Earlier this year, NU extended an invitation to Wright to receive an honorary degree at the June commencement based on the recommendation of faculty committees, Cubbage said in a new statement released this afternoon.
Bienen did not tell Wright he “was not patriotic,” Cubbage said in the statement.
“If Dr. Wright was quoted accurately, that statement is not true,” the statement read. “In his conversation and correspondence with Dr. Wright in March, President Bienen never characterized Dr. Wright’s views or made a judgment about them.”
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NU’s latest statement on its honorary degree invitation to Rev. Wright, issued by Vice President for University Relations Al Cubbage Thursday afternoon:”Earlier this academic year, acting on the recommendation of faculty committees, Northwestern University extended an invitation to the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, former senior minister of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, to receive an honorary Doctorate of Sacred Theology at Northwestern’s Commencement in June. Commencement at Northwestern is a time of celebration of the accomplishments of Northwestern’s graduating students and their families. In light of the controversy around Dr. Wright and to ensure that the celebratory character of Commencement not be affected, the University has withdrawn its invitation to Dr. Wright.
Dr. Wright was quoted as saying that his invitation to receive an honorary degree was withdrawn by Northwestern President Henry Bienen because Dr. Wright “wasn’t patriotic enough.” If Dr. Wright was quoted accurately, that statement is not true. In his conversation and correspondence with Dr. Wright in March, President Bienen never characterized Dr. Wright’s views or made a judgment about them. The letter said, “In light of the controversy surrounding statements made by you that have recently been publicized, the celebratory character of Northwestern’s commencement would be affected by our conferring of this honorary degree. Thus I am withdrawing the offer of an honorary degree previously extended to you.”
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Wednesday night’s statement about Rev. Wright from Vice President for University Relations Al Cubbage:”Earlier this academic year, acting on the recommendation of faculty committees, Northwestern University extended an invitation to the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, former senior minister of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, to receive an honorary degree at Northwestern’s Commencement in June. Commencement at Northwestern is a time of celebration of the accomplishments of Northwestern’s graduating students and their families. In light of the controversy around Dr. Wright and to ensure that the celebratory character of Commencement not be affected, the University has withdrawn its invitation to Dr. Wright.”
