The Conferring of Honorary Degrees
Kenneth V. Hatt

Citation Presented by Michael J. Fratantuono, Associate Professor of International Studies, Business & Management
Conferring of the degree by William G. Durden, President

Kenneth V. Hatt , we honor you today for the accomplishments of a lifetime.

You were born in 1923, the youngest of 11 children. In 1927, your mother died, leaving you an orphan. You were placed in the Home for Friendless Children in Reading Pennsylvania . Then, in 1933, at the age of nine, an event occurred that changed your life: you were admitted to the Milton Hershey School .

You were assigned by your teachers to the commercial track of studies. The times were not easy. In those Depression years, you and your classmates spent several hours both before and after school each day doing farm work. Nonetheless, you graduated with honors from the School in 1941, and started your professional career as a mail and messenger boy with the Hershey Estates.

From the end of 1941 until 1943, you worked as an accountant in various departments of the company. It was then you met Eleanor, whom you married in 1943. Together, you celebrated life for 56 years, until her passing in 1999. The beautiful garden that you have created in her memory, on the grounds of your home in Hershey, speaks of your enduring love.

In 1943, you joined the U.S. Army, served our country in the European Theater, and attained the rank of Sergeant.

In 1945, you returned home and resumed your career with the Hershey Estates, the organization that is known today as the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. Over the next thirty-five years, you gradually moved up the ranks, from Accountant, to Controller, to Vice President. In 1980, you were named President and Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation, a position you held until 1986. In that capacity, you were responsible for several hotels, theme parks, country clubs, and a professional sports team. Following your retirement as President, you remained on the Board of Directors until 1993. You also served as a Director of the Hershey Foods Company from 1988 to 1991, a period when that company was deepening their relationship with the European Market.

Your colleagues gave you the nickname "the common sense" manager. They regarded you as a person of "humility" and "determination," precisely the traits that contemporary business guru Jim Collins believes essential for the most successful leaders. With respect to values, you echoed Mr. Hershey himself-although you would never punish a man for making a mistake, you would fire him in a heartbeat for disloyalty or dishonesty. You attribute your own success to being a "people person." Indeed, instead of reliving favorite strategic maneuvers, you treasure the warm hellos you still receive on street corners from previous employees.

Never aspiring to be a millionaire, you have generously contributed to causes championed by people you respect. You have also given freely of your time, holding leadership positions on numerous boards, civic groups, and philanthropic organizations.

As to your most meaningful achievement, you recall that as Chairman of the Board of Managers, you led the effort to transform the curriculum and way of doing business of the Milton Hershey School-within a decade, the number of graduates going on to college from your alma mater rose from 25 percent to 75 percent. In your mind, that accomplishment reflects the greatest gift we can give to children: educational opportunity.

While your life's story is an obvious example of the "American Dream," it remains relevant to the aspirations of the millions of young people everywhere who are trying to make their way in our globalizing world.

Mr. President, I am honored to present to you Mr. Kenneth V. Hatt for the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Management.

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Kenneth V. Hatt, upon the recommendation of the Faculty to the Board of Trustees, and by its mandamus, I confer upon you the Degree of Doctor of Business Management, with the rights, privileges, and distinction thereunto appertaining, in token of which I present you with this diploma and cause you to be invested with the hood of Dickinson College appropriate to your degree.

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