As commencement season gets underway across the United States, Library of America is proud to announce that last Friday, April 29, its President and Chief Executive Cheryl Hurley was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from her undergraduate alma mater, Ohio University.

During the university’s Graduate Commencement ceremony, held at its Athens campus, Ohio University President Roderick J. McDavis observed that through her work at LOA, Hurley has “protected American voices that may otherwise be silenced by time’s passage.” In conferring her honorary degree, he proclaimed:

“For your commitment to leading the effort to preserve great literature for future generations, for providing an intimate lens through which to view history and literature, and for your dedication to promoting philanthropy in the arts, Ohio University is proud to call you an alumna, and finds you worthy of this distinctive honor.”

Accepting her degree, Hurley told the audience that “My Ohio education in the liberal arts led to my career at the Library of America and the opportunity to help preserve, publish, and celebrate the nation’s great writing.” She continued with an exhortation that may not surprise Library of America fans.

“You’ve all been immersed in reading for your degree, but don’t forget to read for yourself,” Hurley said. “I encourage you all to discover the pleasure and enlightenment that can come from reading our very best writers.”