{"id":20831,"date":"2013-05-23T01:23:02","date_gmt":"2013-05-23T05:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=20831"},"modified":"2013-05-23T01:28:55","modified_gmt":"2013-05-23T05:28:55","slug":"im-married-to-a-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2013\/05\/im-married-to-a-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m Married to a Doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"

MrB received his honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Columbia University at yesterday’s commencement ceremony for the class of 2013. He perfected his royal wave in time for the occasion.<\/p>\n

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The procession on the way in. Photo by George Brandes. Click to see a little video.<\/p><\/div>\n

My parents and youngest stepdaughter attended the commencement with me. Before we left my apartment for the Columbia campus, my four-year-old nephew was FaceTiming<\/a> with my parents, as he is wont to do. (Apple gets ’em while they’re young.) They told him, “Uncle Paul is going to be a doctor!” and my nephew immediately asked, “Will he still live with Aunt Wendy?” I’m not sure what his thought process was, but I found it very amusing.<\/p>\n

It also reminded me that two of MrB’s fellow honorees, Herbert and Florence Irving — the ones who will be celebrating their 72nd wedding anniversary this year –were joking about doctors at Tuesday night’s celebratory dinner<\/a>. Herbert said that Florence’s mother had wanted her daughter to marry a rich Jewish doctor. Herbert declared, “Now she has!” Of course, because Florence also received an honorary doctorate, Herbert is married to a rich Jewish doctor too. Somewhere, Florence’s mother is kvelling<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I’m kvelling too!<\/p>\n

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Fancy Latin degree.<\/p><\/div>\n

The day was overcast and the university provided ponchos in case of a downpour …<\/p>\n

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… but the rain held off and the sky brightened just enough to call for sunglasses.<\/p>\n

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GeorgeB was amused by my silly shades. Photo by George Brandes.<\/p><\/div>\n

It was exciting to hear Columbia president Lee Bollinger talk about MrB’s achievements.<\/p>\n

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MrB is standing slightly to the right of center. You can also see him on the big screen in the upper left, listening as Columbia president Lee Bollinger speaks. Photo by George Brandes.<\/p><\/div>\n

Those include 16 years as managing editor of the Wall Street Journal. During that time, the Journal won 16 Pulitzer prizes<\/a>. Then, in 2007, MrB became the founding editor of ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative news team, which has won two Pulitzer Prizes<\/a>, including the first Pulitzer Prize ever awarded to an online news organization. The Journalism School students gave him a big cheer.<\/p>\n