The College of Wooster Will Celebrate its 140th Commencement Ceremony on May 10

Ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Oak Grove

WOOSTER, Ohio - The College of Wooster will celebrate its 140th commencement ceremony by awarding degrees to an estimated 370 students as well as honorary degrees to three authors: Hideko Tamura Snider, Terry Tempest Williams, and Ellen Lewin, each of whom will share a few brief remarks with the Class of 2010. The event, which will be presided over by President Grant Cornwell, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in the Oak Grove (1200 Beall Ave.).

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Snider, who graduated from Wooster in 1956 with a degree in sociology, was a child survivor of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima, which claimed most of her family members in 1945. More than half a century later she shared her physical, mental, and emotional anguish in her 1996 memoir, One Sunny Day: A Child's Memories of Hiroshima, which provided a moving narrative of her struggles "to find meaning in the absurd reality of war." After graduating from Wooster, Snider attended McCormick Theological Society and the University of Chicago, where she earned a master's degree in social work. She worked as a clinical social worker for many years, and later specialized in radiation oncology. Today, she continues to travel and speak about the importance of peace and reconciliation in an effort to ease the suffering of others.

Williams, who earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in environmental education from the University of Utah, has dedicated herself to "encouraging children and adults to explore their natural surroundings and to become involved with their own communities." A former curator and naturalist-in-residence at the Utah Museum of Natural History, Williams distinguished herself as a nature writer. In addition to writing articles for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Audubon, and other publications, she has written several books, including Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place, in which she chronicles the epic rise of Great Salt Lake and the flooding of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in 1983. Her tireless efforts have been recognized with a number of honors, including The Wilderness Society's Robert Marshall Award and The National Wildlife Federation's Conservation Award for Special Achievement.

Lewin, who received her A.B. in linguistics from the University of Chicago and her A.M. and Ph.D. in anthropology from Stanford, is an internationally known scholar on issues of sexuality, parenthood, and reproduction. She also specializes in mentoring young scholars and promoting diversity within her profession. She is the author of two widely acclaimed books: Lesbian Mothers: Accounts of Kinship in American Culture, and Recognizing Ourselves: Ceremonies of Lesbian and Gay Commitment. Her work has been recognized through several awards, including the Ruth Benedict Prize for Outstanding Anthropological Scholarship on a Lesbian or Gay Topic. In addition to her scholarly work, Lewin has co-chaired the Commission on Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Issues in Anthropology, and was one of the founding members of the Society of Lesbian and Gay Anthropologists and the Association for Feminist Anthropology. Most recently, she was elected to the Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association.

The College of Wooster is an independent liberal arts college, nationally recognized for an innovative curriculum that emphasizes mentored, independent research. Each Wooster senior works one-on-one with a faculty adviser to create an original research project, written work, performance or art exhibit. Founded in 1866, the college has an enrollment of approximately 1,800 students.