‘Boys in the Boat’ author to speak at UW commencement

Daniel James Brown, author of the bestselling “The Boys in the Boat,” which tells the story of the 1936 University of Washington men’s rowing team, will deliver the university’s 2024 commencement address, UW announced Tuesday.

The 2013 novel inspired a feature film by the same name, which was released last December and propelled the story of “grit, determination and community support” to global audiences, the university said online.

Through his novel, Brown “brought a treasured piece of Pacific Northwest and UW history to life and inspired people all over the world,” university President Ana Mari Cauce said in the announcement.

At the June 8 ceremony, Brown will receive an honorary degree from UW for his impact on scholarship in the humanities. He earned a bachelor’s degree from University of California, Berkeley, and a master of arts from UCLA.

“The upcoming commencement ceremony is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to express my gratitude to the university for all that it does to cultivate the arts and humane values in our community and the wider world,” Brown said.

Brown continues to write from his home near Seattle, UW said in its announcement.

“The Boys in the Boat,” which tells the story of the Depression-era rowing team that overcame seemingly impossible obstacles and stunned the world by winning gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, has received a number of awards, including the American Library Association’s Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. The book has been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Brown’s other books, including “Facing the Mountain” and “The Indifferent Stars Above,” also focus on pivotal moments in history that are often overlooked, according to the university. 

UW will also recognize MIT atmospheric chemist Susan Solomon at the ceremony for what the university called her pioneering research on ozone depletion and the chemistry of the stratosphere.

The ceremony takes place Saturday, June 8, at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium.