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Outgoing President Cheever Honored by the Simmons Community

BOSTON (May 26, 2006) — It came as a surprise to President Cheever, but not to the legions of his admirers: The Simmons College community honored outgoing President Daniel S. Cheever, Jr. during the recent Simmons commencement weekend with the announcement of the collection of more than $3 million donated in his name to the new college library and other special Simmons projects. The announcement was one in a series of tributes paid to the popular president during the weekend.

Grateful alumni, faculty, students and staff raised the money in Cheever's name as a college-wide "thank you" for 11 years of outstanding service. Cheever, who retires as Simmons president in July, is credited by many for dramatic improvements to the college, including record-high applications, enrollments, and fundraising; modernized curriculum; and major building improvements and expansion.

Simmons Trustee Chair Lucia Luce Quinn unveiled these surprises to Cheever in front of nearly 1,700 graduates and their families, during the 101st commencement at the Bayside Expo Center in Boston:

—The donation of more than $3 million in Cheever's name to the new Simmons College library and classroom building, and other special Simmons projects. The money was raised secretly in Cheever's name over the past year from alumni, faculty, staff, and students. Part of the fundraising was a series of secret "Do it for Dan" fundraising days, during which students, faculty, and staff donated money when Cheever was away from the office.

—The naming of the entrance and dramatic five-story glass tower of the new, 62,000 square-foot library and classroom building, as the "Daniel S. Cheever, Jr." entryway. Construction of the state-of-the-art building, which fronts on Avenue Louis Pasteur, is nearing completion and will serve as one of the main gateways to the college.

—The awarding to Cheever of an honorary doctoral degree in "Education and Humane Administration."

—Installation of a large neon sign near the Bayside Expo Center, visible from the Southeast Expressway the day before and the day of commencement, that read, "Thank you President Cheever, Simmons 101st Commencement."

Susan C. Scrimshaw, an internationally respected public health scholar and dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, will assume the Simmons presidency in July.

Simmons College (www.simmons.edu) is a nationally recognized private university in Boston. It includes an undergraduate college for women, and co-educational graduate programs in social work, health studies, management, library and information science, and the liberal arts.