Actresses Ruby Dee Davis, left, and Meryl Streep, third from left, exchange pre-performance smiles while awaiting reception of University honorary degrees at Commencement 2009. Both are noted for their activism: Davis for civil rights, and Streep for women’s rights.
Honored with them were Ernesto Cortés Jr., influential community organizer; Irvin Glassman, a leading figure in combustion and energy research and Princeton's Robert H. Goddard Professor Emeritus of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; and Alice Waters, celebrated chef and proponent of sustainable cuisine.
Photo by T. Kevin Birch