Marshall Northway Terry - writer, educator, mentor - has devoted his life to SMU, where he earned both B.A. and M.A. degrees and began teaching English in 1954. As director of public relations and assistant to SMU President Willis M. Tate from 1957 to 1965, he coordinated and wrote the Master Plan of 1963, which reaffirmed and articulated the University's mission. He twice chaired the English Department, introduced and directed its creative writing program and founded the SMU Literary Festival. He also directed SMU programs in Madrid, Oxford and Taos and served as associate provost for undergraduate education. He is the author of 11 books, including novels, short stories and a history of SMU. His numerous writing honors include the Barbara McCombs/Lon Tinkle Award, the highest honor of the Texas Institute of Letters. SMU has honored him with the Distinguished Alumni Award, "M" Award, three Rotunda Outstanding Professor Awards and two Willis M. Tate Awards for Outstanding Faculty. He has served as the E.A. Lilly Distinguished Professor of English and will retire this year as Professor Emeritus after more than 50 years at the heart of SMU. For his extraordinary contributions to this institution, to generations of students and to the art of literature, Southern Methodist University is honored to confer upon Marshall Northway Terry the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.