Rachel Levine awarded honorary doctorate by all-women’s college

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, a transgender-identifying man whose original name is Richard, was awarded an honorary degree by a private liberal arts women’s college in Massachusetts earlier this week.

Smith College in Northampton gave Levine the honorary degree for his work as an “accomplished physician, public health expert, and LGBTQ+ advocate,” according to the school’s website. Levine also delivered a commencement address to the students.

Honorary degrees from the college are not limited to women, and the school notes it “will consider women who are exemplars of excellence in a wide range of fields, both academic and non-academic,” as well as “individuals who have had a special impact on Smith College, on the education of women, or on women’s lives.”

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The school’s decision to honor Levine — who graduated in 1975 from the all-boys Belmont Hill School in Belmont, Massachusetts — prompted a protest last Saturday from the feminist organization Women’s Declaration International, according to WORLD.

“Tomorrow, [Smith College]—a historically women’s college—will award Richard ‘Rachel’ Levine an honorary degree,” the organization posted on X. “Levine, who pretends to be a woman, will then speak at commencement. We’re on the ground in Northampton, MA to show our support for women. Just chatted with some alum who agree!”

Tomorrow, @smithcollege—a historically women’s college—will award Richard “Rachel” Levine an honorary degree. Levine, who pretends to be a woman, will then speak at commencement.

We’re on the ground in Northampton, MA to show our support for women. Just chatted with some alum… pic.twitter.com/x3AoLITlF0

— WDI.USA (@WDI_USA) May 17, 2025

During his tenure in the Biden administration, Levine drew attention for reportedly pressuring an international medical group to remove age limits for body-mutilating gender surgeries and other life-altering interventions, which prompted a lawsuit from conservative nonprofit group Judicial Watch last September.

When Levine was health secretary in Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 pandemic, he drew scrutiny after removing his own mother from a personal care home despite ordering nursing homes and long-term care facilities to accept COVID-19 positive residents or face disciplinary action.

Levine also made headlines during his Senate confirmation hearing in 2021 when he repeatedly evaded blunt questions from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., regarding genital mutilation and sterilizing children.

Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who rose to prominence as a vocal opponent of men in women’s sports after she had to compete at the University of Pennsylvania against Lia (Will) Thomas, condemned Smith College for honoring Levine and accused the institution of undermining the supposed ideals of feminism.

“Smith college, a private *women’s* college in Massachusetts, awarded Rachel (Richard) Levine an honorary degree today,” she wrote Sunday. “He then delivered the commencement address. Ladies, congratulations — your graduation was led by the very thing feminism was allegedly fighting.”

Smith college, a private *women’s* college in Massachusetts, awarded Rachel (Richard) Levine an honorary degree today.

He then delivered the commencement address.

Ladies, congratulations — your graduation was led by the very thing feminism was allegedly fighting. pic.twitter.com/3LJyuNHDDV

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) May 18, 2025

Smith College was chartered in 1871 after Sophia Smith, who was born in 1796, acquired a fortune from her father and her six siblings who died before she did in 1870. Upon the advice of a minister, she willed her money to endow a women’s college for the explicit purpose of glorifying God by educating young women in the Christian faith, according to her last will and testament.

“Sensible of what the Christian Religion has done for my sex, and believing that all education should be for the glory of God, and the good of man, I direct that the Holy Scriptures be daily and systematically read and studied in said College, and without giving preference to any sect or denomination, all the education and all the discipline shall be pervaded by the Spirit of Evangelical Christian Religion,” she wrote.