Former President of Poland Lech Walesa to receive Honorary Degree

Released: 2-23-04

MILWAUKEE – Celebrated worldwide as a symbol of the hope for freedom Lech Walesa, a Nobel laureate, labor leader and former president of Poland will receive an honorary doctorate of laws degree from Marquette University in connection with its Mission Week celebration. He will share his experiences during a speech entitled, “Hope and Freedom: A Faith Journey of Struggle and Solidarity” at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, in the Varsity Theatre, 1326 W. Wisconsin Ave. Tickets for this event are no longer available.

Walesa burst into the world spotlight in 1980 during the infamous Lenin Shipyard strike in Gdansk, Poland. Workers, incensed by an increase in prices set by the Communist government, were demanding the right to organize free and independent trade unions. Walesa entered into negotiations with the government, convincing it to grant legal recognition to and workers the right to form independent unions and to strike to workers. This became the Gdansk Agreement, which Walesa signed in 1980.

For his heroic efforts, Walesa was named “Man of the Year” by Time magazine, The Financial Times, The London Observer, Die Welt, Die Zeit, L'Express and Le Soir. Over the next 18 months, however, relations between Solidarity and the government became progressively worse until, on Dec. 13, 1981, the Polish government declared martial law. It suspended the activities of all unions and arrested thousands of Solidarity members, including Walesa. In the fall of 1982, the government officially outlawed Solidarity. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. He became president of Poland in 1990.

Walesa is the fourth Nobel Laureate to visit the university within the last two years. The others are: Oscar Arias, president of Costa Rica, Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa, and Mairead Corrigan Maguire, founder of the Northern Ireland Peace Movement.

Mission Week

Each year in February, the Marquette community pauses in a special way to recall our common mission and the values that unify and inspire us. As a Catholic, Jesuit university, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment that strives toward excellence in all that we do, encourages a life of faith, cultivates leadership, and expresses itself in service to others. Mission Week helps us to remember our larger purpose and allows us to reflect on the Ignatian heritage and spirituality that guide us throughout the year. Join others at Marquette in celebrating Mission Week 2004 by participating in the events below and taking time to discuss what matters most about our work together.