In Memory of Don Shriver Jr. ’51, ‘Giant’ Credited With Saving Union Theological Seminary
August 11, 2021
A Presbyterian minister and respected public theologian, Shriver is the author of more than 15 books, including Honest Patriots: Loving a Country Enough to Remember Its Misdeeds (2005), which won the prestigious Grawemeyer Foundation prize in 2009.
The Rev. Donald W. Shriver Jr. ’51 died July 28 at the age of 93. Known for his intellect, compassion and courage, Shriver spoke out against racial injustice and white supremacy throughout his lengthy career.
He became one of the nation’s foremost social ethicists and was hired as president to lead Union Theological Seminary out of financial instability in 1975—he did that and much more for the institution. During his more than 16 years at the helm, Shriver guided the institution through pivotal changes. Professor Cornel West, whom Shriver hired, called him "the most prophetic seminary president in the late twentieth-century."
