Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Photo of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she received an honorary degree and delivered the keynote address at Wheaton’s 162nd Commencement in 1997

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Sept. 18, 2020, at age 87, received an honorary degree and delivered the keynote address at Wheaton’s 162nd Commencement in 1997. During that weekend, she and her husband, Martin, also were part of a panel discussion. The “Public Lives, Private Partnerships” panel was moderated by President Dale Rogers Marshall, and also featured Life Trustee Patricia King ’63 and her partner, Roger Wilkins. They discussed navigating the growth of their professional legal and academic careers and changing marital relationships. Kate Boylan ’04, director of archives and digital initiatives, spent some long hours one weekend in October digitizing tapes of these events. Now, we all can revisit these moments on our College History page. Watch the video and read the transcript from Ginsburg’s Commencement keynote. (Hebe got an updated look from an unknown admirer of Ginsburg after the news of her passing. The associate justice was known for adorning her black robes with distinctive collars.)

Photo of the statue of Hebe adorned with a distinctive "RBG" collar