Musician Evelyn Harris Returns Honorary Degree After Plagiarism Incident

Northampton, Massachusetts – Musician Evelyn Harris has returned her honorary degree from Smith College after admitting to plagiarizing parts of her commencement speech. The announcement came in an email from Smith College President Sarah Willie-LeBreton on Tuesday.

Harris delivered her speech during the 147th commencement ceremony on Sunday but borrowed significant portions from other speeches without proper attribution. Willie-LeBreton emphasized the importance of academic integrity in her communication to the Smith community.

“In conversations about this after the event, Ms. Harris was forthcoming about her choices while also acknowledging that she sought to infuse the words of others with her own emotional valence,” she wrote. As a result, Harris voluntarily chose to relinquish her honorary degree.

Harris, who is a noted vocal teacher and performer, is recognized for her 50-year career in music and was a former member of the acclaimed a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock. Willie-LeBreton acknowledged her long contributions to music and culture both nationally and internationally.

Harris was one of four individuals who received honorary degrees during the ceremony. The others included Harvard professor Danielle Allen, Admiral Rachel L. Levine, and Emmy-award winner Preeti Simran Sethi.

The college plans to release a revised version of the commencement highlights on its website soon. Willie-LeBreton expressed gratitude to those who alerted the college to the issues with Harris’s speech, saying, “I appreciate those who brought the dissonance of this moment to our attention and am very grateful for the graciousness of Evelyn Harris’s decision.”