BLACKSBURG, July 29, 2002 -- "Life is tough, but even tougher if you're stupid," James I. Robertson Jr., Alumni Distinguished Professor of History at Virginia Tech, told students during his commencement address at Shenandoah University's spring graduation. Following his comical warning, the nationally noted Civil War historian reassured the students that they were graduating from a university that had provided them with all of the necessary tools to succeed and noted that they "would never have to worry about that."
During the commencement festivities, Robertson also accepted an honorary Doctorate of Humanities degree. Shenandoah University President Jim Davis said that "the decision to honor an individual in this fashion is based on the desire to recognize individuals who have given a lifetime of service and made significant contributions to the enhancement of the quality of life for other people. Dr. Robertson embodies this description. With his academic and civic history, and his contribution to the area, it was only fitting that he be honored with this degree."
From time to time, Shenandoah University awards an honorary doctoral degree to recognize individuals who have made unusually meritorious contributions in education, in the arts, in government, to a profession, to their community or church, or to Shenandoah University.
Robertson, who was tapped by President John Kennedy in the early 1960s to head the nation's centennial commemoration of the Civil War, appears regularly in Civil War programs on the Arts & Entertainment Network, the History Channel, and public television. He also writes and narrates a weekly broadcast on public radio, which is carried by 11 stations, and has written a number of books that have garnered national acclaim.
