Eva Jefferson Paterson ’71 to receive honorary Doctor of Laws during commencement

Eva Jefferson Paterson ’71 will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws from Northwestern University during this year’s commencement on June 13. Paterson graduated from Northwestern with a B.A. in political science and was elected the first African American student body president. She went on to receive a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. During her time as an undergraduate, Paterson famously debated then-Vice President Spiro Agnew on television in 1970. This propelled her into the national spotlight, prompting a testimony before Congress soon after.

Paterson is currently the co-chair of the California Civil Rights Coalition (CCRC), which she co-founded and chaired for 18 years. She has also received the Fay Stender Award from the California Women Lawyers, Woman of the Year from the Black Leadership Forum, the Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award from the ACLU of Northern California and the Alumni Award of Merit from Northwestern.

Learn more about Paterson’s accomplishments and the other honorees here.