The Loyola University Maryland community is mourning the death of R. Sargent Shriver, first director of the Peace Corps and widower of the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa, from Loyola 16 years ago. Shriver, who passed away on Jan. 18, was 95.
Shriver was honored at the University’s 1994 Commencement with his wife and their five children. The degrees were bestowed because of the family’s service to the ideals of public and community responsibility, which has brightened the lives of millions and people, exemplifying the very best that America has to offer the world, according to the citation read when the Shrivers accepted their degrees.
In addition to serving as the first director of the Peace Corp, Shriver, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, helped launch Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty and played a critical role in the development of social programs such as Head Start and VISTA. He was also a vice presidential candidate in 1972, when he ran with George McGovern on the Democratic ticket. For many years, he served on the board of the Special Olympics, an organization launched by his wife, and chaired today by his son, Timothy.
For more information or questions regarding this story, contact Media Relations Manager Nick Alexopulos at nalexopulos@loyola.edu or 410-617-5025.