Always look on the bright side of Fife

A Python, an Olympic rower and the former President of Ireland are among those to be honoured by the University of St Andrews next month (June 2013).

Terry Jones, Katherine Grainger and Mary McAleese will all be awarded honorary degrees by the University during its summer graduation ceremonies. The household names will be honoured alongside a host of distinguished individuals from the worlds of academia, art, music and science.

Joining them will be Director of the Edinburgh International Festival Jonathan Mills and Glasgow photographer Harry Benson, famous for his black and white photographs of children in the Gorbals. Benson, whose work was published by Life, Vanity Fair and People magazine, has also photographed celebrities including Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and The Beatles.. and every American President since Eisenhower.

The full honours list is as follows: Dr Christopher Brown (Director, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford), Terry Jones (Writer, film-director and performer), Professor Richard Schrock (Frederick G Keyes Professor of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Katherine Grainger (Olympic champion), Harry Benson (Photographer), Professor Mary McAleese (Former President of Ireland, Emeritus Professor of Law, The Queen’s University of Belfast), Dr Ian Johnston (Neurosurgeon, writer and translator) and Jonathan Mills (Composer, Festival Director and CEO of the Edinburgh International Festival.

The eight recipients will be honoured over eight ceremonies to be held at the Younger Hall from 25 – 28 June.  The University will also honour one of its own by awarding the University Medal to Mediaeval historian and former warden of University Hall, Lorna Walker.

Further information on media arrangements for each ceremony will be released nearer the time.

ENDS