Hanna Holborn Gray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hanna Holborn Gray
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| 9th President of the University of Chicago | |
| In office 1978–1993 |
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| Preceded by | John T. Wilson |
| Succeeded by | Hugo F. Sonnenschein |
| 18th President of Yale University | |
| In office 1977–1978 |
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| Preceded by | Kingman Brewster, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | A. Bartlett Giamatti |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 25, 1930 Heidelberg, Germany |
| Spouse |
Charles Montgomery Gray
(m. 1954; |
| Parents | Hajo Holborn Annemarie Bettmann |
| Education | Bryn Mawr College University of Oxford Harvard University |
Hanna Holborn Gray (born October 25, 1930) is an American historian. She studied the Renaissance and Reformation periods. These were times of big changes in history. She is now a Professor of History Emerita (meaning retired but still honored) at the University of Chicago.
Hanna Gray was the 10th president of the University of Chicago from 1978 to 1993. Before that, she was the acting president of Yale University in 1977–1978. She was the first woman to lead both of these major universities. When she became president in Chicago, she was one of the first women to lead a big university in the United States.
Contents
Hanna Gray's Early Life and Education
Hanna Holborn was born in Heidelberg, Germany. Her father, Hajo Holborn, was a history professor at Yale. He moved his family to America to escape Nazi Germany. Her mother, Annemarie Bettmann, was a philologist, someone who studies language and texts. Hanna's older brother, Frederick, later worked at the White House. He also became a professor of foreign policy.
Hanna Gray went to several schools. These included The Foote School and Hopkins School in New Haven, Connecticut. She also attended Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. She then went to Bryn Mawr College near Philadelphia and graduated in 1950.
After college, she studied at Oxford University in England. She was a Fulbright Scholar, which is a special scholarship. She earned her PhD (a high-level degree) from Harvard University in 1957. She then started teaching there.
Breaking Barriers at Harvard
Hanna Gray became an assistant professor at Harvard in 1959. At that time, it was hard for women to be fully accepted at Harvard. Even though some graduate programs allowed women, they were often treated differently. Women were mostly connected to Radcliffe College, which was separate from Harvard.
Hanna Gray became the first woman tutor in history and literature. A tutor helps students with their studies. The other tutors were not happy about her joining their dining group. When she became an instructor, she was supposed to use a side door to the main faculty hall. But she decided to use the front door instead. She was inspired by another professor, Helen Maud Cam. Helen Cam was the first woman to attend faculty meetings just by showing up.
Leadership Roles at Universities
Hanna Gray moved to Chicago when her husband got a job at the University of Chicago. She first worked as a research fellow at the Newberry Library. Then, she started teaching history at the University of Chicago. She earned tenure in 1964. Tenure means she had a permanent teaching position.
From 1966 to 1970, she helped edit the Journal of Modern History. In 1972, she became the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University. A dean is a leader in a college. In 1974, she became a professor and provost at Yale University. A provost is a senior academic officer.
She served as acting president of Yale for 14 months. This happened after President Kingman Brewster left to become the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
President of the University of Chicago
Hanna Gray returned to the University of Chicago in 1978. She became its president and served until 1993. She was the first woman to be a full president of a major university in the United States. In 1991, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can get in the U.S.
She retired in June 1993. She is still known as the Harry Pratt Judson Distinguished Service Professor Emerita.
Other Important Roles
Hanna Gray has also served on many important boards and committees. These include the Harvard Corporation and the Yale Corporation. She was also involved with the Smithsonian Institution and JP Morgan Chase. She helped lead the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
She has received honorary degrees from over sixty universities. These include Harvard, Oxford, Yale, and Princeton. An honorary degree is given to someone for their achievements.
Honors and Awards
- Medal of Liberty
- Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Francis Boyer Award
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
- Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1973)
- Member, American Philosophical Society (1981)
Key Dates in Hanna Gray's Career
- 1955–1957: Teaching Fellow, Harvard University
- 1957–1959: Instructor, Harvard University
- 1959–1960: Assistant Professor, Harvard University
- 1961–1964: Assistant Professor of History, University of Chicago
- 1964–1972: Associate Professor of History, University of Chicago
- 1972–1974: Professor and Dean, Northwestern University
- 1974–1978: Professor and Provost, Yale University
- 1977–1978: Acting President, Yale University
- 1978–present: Professor of History, University of Chicago
- 1978–1993: President, University of Chicago
- 1997–2005: Member of the Harvard Corporation
Publications
- Hanna Holborn Gray wrote a memoir called An Academic Life in 2018.
- She also wrote an essay titled "Some Reflections on the Second Generation." This was part of a book about historians who came from Nazi Germany.
