Distinguished international scholar, gardener, and historian, leading statesman and humanist, renowned educator and author, John Hope Franklin symbolizes in his personal and professional excellence what is best about America. For more than fifty years, he has followed the painstaking path of the intellectual. Franklin has insured his place in American letters by objectively and dispassionately writing missing chapters in American history and rewriting those found to be inaccurate. His six major books on the history of blacks in America stand as a monument to scholarly integrity. His list of publications, spanning more than forty years, is impressive, not only with respect to sheer volume, but also for the thoughtful analysis, careful scholarship, social awareness, literate style, and consistent relevance that his writings reflect. In recognition of a sustained and profound contribution to international life and culture, Southern Methodist University is proud to confer upon John Hope Franklin the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.