Remembering Brandeis and Barbra's Honoray Doctorate

It was on May 21, 1995, at Brandeis University that Barbra Streisand received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. While it was an honorary degree, there's little question that Streisand was deserving of the honor, and although she'd been offered similar designations over the years, it was only from Brandeis that Barbra accepted the honor.

     Not surprisingly, when she received the degree and had her moment to speak, Barbra was gracious and humble. She turned the tribute to her accomplishments into a reminder that she is her father's daughter. Here's what Barbra said in her brief address:

"I do want to thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for this wonderful show of support. I would just like to say this honorary degree means so much to me because my father was a teacher and he died when I was very young, but…I am very proud to be affiliated with this prestigious, international university, and I know my father would be proud, too."

I recently wrote an article for Examiner.com about Barbra's intelligence. She's extremely smart and has a genius IQ; her brilliance has shown through in all aspects of her career. So, here's the thought of the day: do you think Barbra Streisand would have been more successful if she had graduated Erasmus Hall High in Brooklyn and then gone to college for four more years? Perhaps a Bacherlor of Arts from Brandeis back in 1960? For me, the answer is clear. She didn't need the degree because she has been a student of life and never stopped learning. A degree wouldn't have made her smarter, but it might have delayed her success.