Harvard University To Fete Sen. Ted Kennedy With Honorary Degree

Boston, MA (AHN) - Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) will receive an honorary degree from Harvard University on Monday, becoming part of a eminent group of individuals, including Winston Churchill, Andrew Jackson and Nelson Mandela, who have been given the same honor.

The 76-year old 'liberal lion' of the Senate will receive the degree in a special convocation at the university's Sanders Theatre scheduled for 4:30 pm ET. "The honor is in recognition of Kennedy's lifelong commitment to public service and his tireless efforts as a champion for a range of social issues including health care, civil rights, labor, employment, the environment, and education," the university gazette said.

Vice President-elect Joe Biden will travel to Boston for the event, according to the Obama transition team.

Kennedy, the second most senior member of the Senate and the younger brother of John F. Kennedy, underwent brain surgery on June 2 after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. The diagnosis was made after he suffered two seizures in May. He returned to the Capitol on Nov. 17 after a brief appearance in July to vote on a controversial Medicare bill.

Kennedy graduated from Harvard University in 1956 after a colorful collegiate career marked by football games against rival Yale University, a two-year stint in the Army, and cheating in a Spanish examination that led him to be expelled but later re-admitted. He earned his law degree from the University of Virginia and passed the Massachusetts bar in 1959.

He launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1979 but lost to incumbent President Jimmy Carter. But his landmark concession speech during the national convention in New York City continues to be hailed as one of the best convention speeches today. His address during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in August recalled his 1980 speech saying, "The work begins anew, the hope rises again and the dream lives on."