University President Jehuda Reinharz and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Stephen Kay presented Carl Shapiro with an honorary degree at a Palm Beach, Fla. gathering on Jan. 18. Approximately 100 major donors and trustees attended the event.According to Dennis Nealon, director of media relations, the degree was "a special surprise from the University to Carl Shapiro for his and his family's decades of giving to the institution." Shapiro's wife and daughters were present for the event, with his daughters performing the ceremonial hooding.

Usually, honorary degrees are given at the commencement ceremony each May. Executive Assistant to the President Dr. John Hose said, however, that it is "unusual, but not unprecedented" for Brandeis to confer an honorary degree in the middle of the academic year. According to Hose, George Burns received an honorary Brandeis degree nine years ago in California.

The honorary degree cited Shapiro's "unshakable commitment to making the world a better place." The degree is the University's highest honor and recognizes Shapiro's philanthropy to the arts, education, health care and social service.

Shapiro made his first donation to Brandeis in 1950, giving $10. Most recently, the Shapiro family donated $25 million to build the Shapiro Campus Center. The Shapiros also funded the construction of the admissions center and endowed a chair in international finance. In addition, the Shapiros have funded the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Center for Library Technology and Journals at the Farber Library.

Shapiro served on the Board of Trustees in the past, and his daughter, Rhonda Zinner, is a current member of the Board of Trustees.

Nealon noted that Brandeis is not the only institution Shapiro actively supports. The Shapiros are also major donors to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and many other institutions.

"The innovative initiatives, programs and buildings you have supported will enrich the lives of many generations to come," reads the degree.