Hackney is honored in France

President Sheldon Hackney received an honorary degree from the Universite de Technologie de Compiegne in France at their commencement exercises yesterday. The degree was presented to him by a representative of the French Ministry of Education in a 4 p.m. ceremony, said Trudy Kuehner, the president's executive secretary. Hackney was one of two or three people receiving the honor this year, she said. Compiegne has a long-standing student exchange program with the University, involving primarily engineering students. The presentation of the degree is a sign that the French institution wants to strengthen its ties with the University, Kuehner said. The University generally sends a few students to participate in the academic year program, while Compiegne has about a dozen students attending the University each year, Assistant Engineering Dean John Kennan said yesterday. The institution is located about two hours north of Paris and is the historical site where the Germans conceded defeat in World War II, Kuehner said. The president, who journeyed to France alone, left for the U.S on a flight from Boston following the Quakers' football game against Harvard. He will return to Philadelphia tomorrow. Hackney's whirlwind trip will include a tour of the French university's research center and meeting with University alumni who live in France. Hackney has also been awarded honorary degrees by the University of Edinburgh, Hebrew University, Haverford College, and the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science during his tenure as University president.

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