Billye Aaron to Receive Honorary Degree at Alverno College Commencement

Milwaukee (April 22, 2021) — Billye Aaron — educator, broadcaster, philanthropist and wife of the late Hank Aaron — will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Alverno College during the college’s Commencement ceremony on May 17 at Milwaukee’s American Family Field. Mrs. Aaron will also deliver the Commencement address. Cecelia Gore, Alverno trustee and executive director of the Brewers Community Foundation, will preside at the Commencement ceremony.

Ongoing supporters of Alverno, Billye Aaron and her husband founded the Hank and Billye Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation, which awards scholarships to Milwaukee and Atlanta-area college students; to several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and to children who lack adequate financial means. The foundation has granted “4 For 4 Scholarships” to high-achieving African-American women at Alverno who are pursuing careers in public service, social work, education and allied health.

“It is a joy and an honor to recognize Billye Aaron for her many contributions to education and to supporting the dreams of young people,” said Alverno President Andrea Lee. “The legacy she and Hank are creating is an enduring one. We are so grateful for her passion, commitment and support.”

Billye Aaron has been an educator in the Atlanta Public Schools and at Spelman College, Morehouse College and South Carolina State University. In 1968, she was hired as a co-host for WSB-TV’s “Today in Georgia,” becoming the first African-American woman in the Southeast to co-host a daily talk show. She also hosted a weekly talk show, “Billye,” on Milwaukee’s WTMJ-TV. Mrs. Aaron had a 14-year tenure at the United Negro College Fund, including serving as vice president for the Southern region. A longtime member of the NAACP, she was named director emerita of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Billye Aaron has received multiple honorary degrees and honors, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Salute to Greatness Award.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Texas College and a master’s degree at Atlanta University, and she continued post-graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

The honorary degree, a Doctor of Letters, at Alverno College is bestowed only rarely and, then, upon exceptional recipients who contribute significantly to the intellectual life, to the world of culture or to the academic disciplines in which Alverno faculty are active. Honorees must also demonstrate deep commitment to community and to social causes, especially education and, through their lives and work, reflect the values embodied in the Alverno College Abilities.

The Commencement ceremony will be a joint celebration for undergraduate and graduate students. It is a ticketed event and marks the first time the college will hold Commencement off campus since it moved to its current campus in 1953. Moving the ceremony to the stadium is another way to recognize the many contributions of the Aarons there, as well as allow for a safe in-person event that can accommodate distancing for graduates and their families.

“Commencement is such a momentous occasion for our students, and we want to joyfully celebrate all they’ve accomplished,” said Joseph Foy, Alverno’s vice president for Academic Affairs.  “It will be particularly meaningful to do so with such an esteemed speaker and honoree who has helped make an education available to so many.”

About Alverno College

Founded in 1887 by the School Sisters of St. Francis, Alverno College is a four-year Catholic, liberal arts college that enables the academic, personal and professional development of its students within a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in an array of fields in education, healthcare and business are open to women and men.

A leader in higher education innovation and Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, Alverno has earned accolades for its ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, emphasizing hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The college ranks among the top schools in the Midwest for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and innovation by U.S. News & World Report. For two years, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education named Alverno the country’s most inspiring college.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.