Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., will honor city Police Commissioner Ed Davis III with an honorary degree at the school's commencement ceremony Friday.
Davis is accepting the honor on behalf of Boston Marathon bombing first responders, the university said, including public safety officials, emergency medical personnel, students and marathon runners. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will read the honorary degree at the ceremony.
In a press release, Northeastern described why the school wanted to honor Davis and the first responders:
They saved lives and soothed spirits in medical tents and in hospitals, devoted long hours of investigative work to identify the suspects, and persisted in putting themselves in harm’s way to apprehend them.
Their fortitude, commitment, and confidence spread across our region, engendering in our city and community a lasting sense of pride, strength, and unity. Ultimately, they showed America and the world what it means to be “Boston Strong.”
The Boston metro area is home to dozens of college campuses, all of which were affected in some way by the Boston Marathon bombings. Once Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 19-year-old suspect in the bombings, was captured on April 19, hundreds of Northeastern students poured into the streets in celebration. Video captured that night showed students cheering for the Boston Police Department, chanting "BPD! BPD! BPD!"
Davis will also accept an honorary degree from Suffolk University and speak at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, The Boston Globe reports.
"It's extremely humbling," Davis told The Globe. "I never expected that I’d find myself in this situation."
Jim Yong Kim, World Bank Group president and former Dartmouth College president, will be the Northeastern commencement speaker. The university is planning on streaming the ceremony live on its website.
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