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 amazing American historian. She is known for her studies of the Renaissance and the Reformation. These were important periods in history when many new ideas changed Europe.
Hanna Gray was the 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's Early Life and Education
Hanna Holborn was born in Heidelberg, Germany. Her father, Hajo Holborn, was a history professor at Yale University. He moved to America to escape Nazi Germany. Her mother, Annemarie Bettmann, was a philologist, someone who studies language. Hanna's older brother, Frederick, later worked at the White House.
Hanna went to several schools, including The Foote School and Sidwell Friends School. She then attended Bryn Mawr College and graduated in 1950. After that, she studied at Oxford University as a special scholar. She earned her PhD from Harvard University in 1957.
Breaking Barriers at Harvard
Hanna Gray started teaching at Harvard University in 1959. At that time, it was hard for women to be fully accepted there. Even though some graduate programs allowed women, they were often treated differently.
Hanna became the first woman tutor in history and literature. The other tutors were not happy about her joining their dining group. But Hanna didn't let that stop her. When she became an instructor, she was told to use a side door to enter the main faculty hall. She decided to use the front door instead, just like the men. She was inspired by another professor, Helen Maud Cam, who also broke barriers by simply showing up.
Leading Universities and Beyond
Hanna Gray moved to Chicago when her husband got a job at the University of Chicago. She first worked as a researcher at the Newberry Library. Then, she began teaching history at the University of Chicago and became a tenured professor in 1964. This meant she had a permanent teaching position.
From 1972 to 1974, she was a dean at Northwestern University. Then, she became a professor and provost at Yale University. A provost is a senior academic officer. She even served as the acting president of Yale for 14 months. This happened after the president, Kingman Brewster, became an ambassador.
In 1978, Hanna Gray returned to the University of Chicago. She became its president and served until 1993. She was the first woman to be a full president of a major university in the U.S. In 1991, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can get in the United States. She retired in 1993 but is still a respected professor.
Hanna Gray has also served on the boards of many important organizations. These include the Harvard Corporation, the Yale Corporation, and the Smithsonian Institution. She has received over sixty honorary degrees from universities around the world. These include Harvard, Oxford, Yale, and Princeton.
A funny story about her time at the University of Chicago is that her portrait was "stolen" by students as a prank more than once! In 2018, she wrote a book about her life called An Academic Life.
Awards and Recognitions
Hanna Gray has received many important awards for her work:
- 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)
Timeline of Hanna's Career
- Teaching Fellow, Harvard University, 1955–1957
- Instructor, Harvard University, 1957–1959
- Assistant Professor, Harvard University, 1959–1960
- Assistant Professor of History at the University of Chicago 1961–1964
- Associate Professor of History at the University of Chicago 1964–1972
- Professor and Dean, Northwestern University 1972–1974
- Professor and Provost at Yale University 1974–1978
- Acting President of Yale University 1977–1978
- Professor of History at the University of Chicago 1978–present
- President of the University of Chicago 1978–1993
- Member of the Harvard Corporation, 1997-2005
