Prof. Kenneth Smail '60 to Receive Honorary Degree at Kenyon College's Commencement

May 13, 2004

May 13, 2004, Greencastle, Ind. - J. Kenneth Smail, professor of anthropology at Kenyon College and a 1960 graduate of DePauw University, will receive an honorary doctorate degree from Kenyon at the College's commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 22. The program will begin at 10:30 a.m. on the lawn of Samuel Mather Hall on the Gambier, Ohio campus and is free and open to the public.

A story in today's edition of Ohio's Mount Vernon News states, "Kenneth Smail joined Kenyon's anthropology faculty in 1973, with a bachelor's degree from DePauw University, master's degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University, and a doctorate from Yale University. Promoted to full professor in 1990, he has concentrated his teaching in physical anthropology and its various sub areas, including forensic anthropology and human biological variation. Far from being narrowly focused, though, Smail has always been interested in the 'big questions' that arise at the intersection of the natural and social sciences, the humanities, and public policy, and he had encouraged his students and his fellow faculty members to do likewise, Both on campus and in the larger world, he has been known for his espousal of the concept of 'peace hostages' as a deterrent to nuclear war, with potential combatants swapping as many as a million or more volunteer citizens and engaging in other confidence-building initiative. His interest in negative population growth also gained attention beyond Gambier, with such essays and presentations as 'Population Growth Seems to Affect Everything but is Seldom Held Responsible for Anything.'"

Access the article by clicking here. Read more about Dr. Smail here.

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