Washington University students, faculty protest Schlafly at ceremony

ST. LOUIS -- Wearing white armbands, Washington University students and faculty staged a silent protest as conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly received an honorary degree at Friday's commencement.

Hundreds got up from their seats, turned their backs to the stage, and stood silently as the 83-year-old Schlafly was bestowed an honorary doctorate of humane letters.

Schlafly, a native St. Louisan, writer, lecturer and founder of the conservative interest group, Eagle Forum, already holds both bachelor's and law degrees from the university. She smiled during the ceremony but did not speak from the stage, as was expected.

Afterward, she told reporters she felt "very honored."

"This is a happy day," she said. "I'm just sorry for those who tried to rain on a happy day."

The school's board of trustees voted last year to honor her, but news of the award, released more than a week ago, surprised many in the university community.

Groups such as the Association of Women Faculty and 14 professors from the law school quickly mounted protests demanding the university rescind the honor.

Chancellor Mark Wrighton apologized to the university community on Wednesday for any "anguish" caused by the decision, but said the university would fulfill its promise.

Protesters have cited Schlafly's views about homosexuals, women and immigrants, saying they go against the most fundamental principles for which the university stands.

They handed out fliers with past quotes from Schlafly such as "sexual harassment on the job is not a problem for the virtuous woman," from a 1981 Senate hearing, and the "atomic bomb is a marvelous gift that was given to our country by a wise God," from a New York Times interview.

"We respect people's opinions," said Darla Dale, assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who participated in Friday's protest. "But I, at least, felt frustrated that we honored a woman whose opinions seem the antithesis of what we're about.

"Her views on women especially. We've worked so hard to get here, and we have her saying we shouldn't be here."

Schlafly, who earlier in the week had called the protesters "a bunch of losers," told The Associated Press on Friday that her proudest accomplishment was defeating the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. "Nixon, Carter, Hollywood, were for it," she said. "We took them all on."

She called university women's studies departments "feminist propaganda masquerading as academics."

St. Louis civil rights activist and lawyer Margaret Bush Wilson, an emeritus trustee who was born the year before women won the right to vote in 1920, volunteered to award Schlafly the honor.

"Whether you agree or disagree (with Schlafly), as far as I was concerned this was about free speech," she said. Besides, "I knew the chancellor was under a lot of heat."

Asked which direction her politics tilt, she said, "I ran for Congress on the Progressive ticket if that tells you. I don't even remember when."

Jesse Thorner, 21, a Duke University senior who was in the audience to see his brother graduate, was among those who stood up from their seats to applaud when Schlafly was honored.

"A, I happen to agree with everything she has to say," he said. "And, B, with academics, I notice that so many people claim to be tolerant. But if they were truly tolerant, they would have shown Ms. Schlafly her due respect."

Besides Schlafly, five others were honored, including MSNBC host Chris Matthews, who gave the commencement speech, and composer, conductor and producer Quincy Jones, who blew a kiss to the audience when they applauded him wildly in a standing ovation.

Matthews said the presidential race had kicked up a lot of nasty "us versus them" sentiment. And he said Americans have become less tolerant of people who speak out against government policy, whether it's Bill Maher or the Dixie Chicks.

"It's honest debate," he said. "Speaking up can be the very essence of patriotism."