Denison University has a long tradition of taking time at Commencement to honor men and women who have distinguished themselves in the arts, in letters, in the Academy, and in public life.

In exercising its right to award honorary degrees, the University links itself visibly and importantly to the community of excellence, high purpose, and of public concern that knows no boundaries in either time or place.

The individual we honor today has distinguished himself as a scholar, as an educator, and most notably to the Denison community, as a beloved college President for the past 15 years. Hallmarks of Denison’s progress under his leadership are numerous. I urge all of you to read the biographical remarks in the back of your program outlining his accomplishments.

The Trustees of Denison University, by virtue of the authority vested in them, and upon recommendation of the faculty thereof, confer upon Denison’s president for the last 15 years, Dale Thomas Knobel '71:

An accomplished leader, demonstrating undaunted dedication to the core values of the college, among them, individual responsibility; intellectual inquiry and critical thinking; student and faculty diversity; financial accessibility; and environmentally sensitive sustainable operations;

An exemplary and venerated member of the Denison community in all of its forms: a collective of engaged students and faculty; a residential campus with its tenants of integrity, civility, tolerance and mutual respect; and the Village of Granville and surrounding region, for which the college provides caring community service, refined academic resources, spirited athletic competition, and a myriad of cultural experiences and opportunities;

A committed champion of liberal education as a virtuous model for undergraduate higher learning, supporting the continual development of a balanced, progressive and rigorous curriculum at Denison that has positioned the college well for not only the present, but far into the future;

A respected authority and opinion-leader in the field of higher education, promoting the liberal arts tradition across the nation and around the world;

The degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, presented in the Village of Granville, in the State of Ohio, this twelfth day of May, 2013, being the 237th year of the Republic and of the University, the 182nd.

Dale, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Board of Trustees, and on recommendation of the faculty, I confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, and in token of this action I direct that you be invested with the hood appropriate to your degree.

Now I would like to offer some personal reflections as I introduce President Knobel as our Commencement speaker.

I first met Dale in the fall of 1967. We were Denison freshmen, and we both lived on the fourth floor of what was then called the “new dorm,” now Shorney Hall. Dale left Denison after a year, and I did not see him again until early 1998, when I was chairing a Presidential Search Committee. Happily for Denison, Dale and Tina accepted our offer to come back home to Ohio and lead Denison. What an outstanding and transformative 15 years it has been!

As a result of Dale's prodigious fundraising, Denison has been able to endow 17 additional professorships, lower the student/faculty ratio to 10:1 and increase opportunities for student research. Financial aid — especially need-based — increased dramatically during Dr. Knobel's years at Denison, yielding a far more diverse, engaged and inspiring student population. And in recent years, Denison has placed greater emphasis on assisting students with internships, career development and service learning experiences. Denison's endowment more than doubled, from $314 million in 1998 to its current level of almost $700 million. Our physical campus has truly been transformed, with Samson Talbot Hall of Biological Science, the Burton D. Morgan Center, the Reese~Shackelford Common, the Mitchell Center with Trumbull Aquatics Center, Ebaugh Laboratories, the Bryant Arts Center and numerous new and renovated residential buildings. Throughout Dale's tenure, operating budgets have been balanced and Denison's credit rating has remained strong.

Dale Knobel's passion for the liberal arts, for Denison's mission and for our students has been evident every day of his 15 years with us. With seemingly boundless energy, and ever-increasing whiteness in his hair, he has attended so many student events, day after day, year after year — simply because he loved being with students and cared deeply about both their academic success and their learning and development away from the classroom. He also has excited and energized alumni through countless events and private meetings. He and Tina have been incomparable ambassadors for Denison.

Dale, you have served the college unselfishly and extraordinarily well. You have touched the lives of so many Denisonians. You have made Denison better. Though you will leave us in a few weeks, your legacy will endure. And Denison will be grateful forever.

It is now my honor and privilege to present to you our president, Dr. Dale Knobel.