PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Ruth J. Simmons, 18th president of Brown University, has been named Chevalier in the French National Order of the Legion of Honor. She will be honored in a ceremony on Thursday, May 16, 2013, at 4 p.m. in the John Carter Brown Library.

The award, given to Simmons by decree of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is the highest decoration offered by the French government, given to a select number of recipients in recognition of their contributions to the advancement of French arts and culture.

Fluent in French, Simmons earned her Ph.D. in Romance languages and literature at Harvard Univrsity. She has written about French-speaking authors and poets including David Diop and Aimé Césaire and has focused much of her scholarship on African and Caribbean literature.

William Twaddell, a 1963 Brown Graduate, University trustee, and former U.S. diplomat, will make opening remarks. Fabien Fieschi, consul general of France in Boston, will present Simmons with the decoration.

Who
• Ruth J. Simmons, president emerita of Brown University;
• William Twaddell, University trustee emeritus and former U.S. diplomat;
• Fabien Fieschi, consul general of France in Boston.

What
The French Legion of Honor, given to Simmons by decree of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is the highest decoration offered by the French government, given to a select number of recipients in recognition of their contributions to the advancement of French arts and culture. 

Where
John Carter Brown Library
The College Green
Brown University

When
Thursday, May 16, 2013, at 4 p.m.