Bourgeois Denied Honorary Degree

Harvard officials didn't make an exception for South African leader Nelson R. Mandela and they didn't make an exception for Louise Bourgeois either.

Bourgeois, a New York City artist, was slated to be one of nine honorary degree recipients at the June 10 Commencement ceremony, but since she was unable to attend the ceremony, she did not receive her degree.

Bourgeois, who is 87, was slated to receive a Doctorate of Arts from Harvard, but said she was "too old" and frail to come to the ceremony.

She said she sent her son, who came from Taos, N.M., to the ceremony in her place, but that University officials were unwilling to give him her diploma.

Harvard University spokesperson Joe Wrinn said the University does not make exceptions to its policy of requiring all honorary degree recipients to attend a convocation ceremony to receive their degree.

Bourgeois says she still wants the degree and is upset that she has not received it.

"I want to put it on the wall," she said.

She was to receive the degree in recognition of her artistic achievements over her career as a sculptor, print-maker and performance artist.

Born in France, she studied at the Sorbonne University in Paris and the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Bourgeois received an honorary degree from Yale in 1977 and won a National Medal of Arts in 1997.

University Marshal Richard M. Hunt was out of the country and unavailable for comment yesterday.