York College Set to Honor Regent Sanford at 2025 Commencement

York College is proud to announce that the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York has approved its request to honor the iconic Regent Adelaide Sanford.

Dr. Sanford, a former Hollis, Queens resident, will receive the 2025 York College/CUNY Honorary Doctorate Degree at its May 28 Commencement ceremonies.

Regent Sanford will also be amongst those addressing the Class of 2025 during the ceremonies at UBS Arena in Elmont, Long Island. Her career has spanned the elementary, college, and graduate school levels. She has been a classroom teacher, teacher of guidance, assistant principal, and principal in the New York City School system, influencing thousands along the way.

Regent Sanford taught education courses at Baruch College and Fordham University. She was a visiting practitioner and teaching fellow at the Principals’ Center at Harvard University, Graduate School of Education. Honorary doctorates were conferred on Regent Sanford by Mercy College, The Bank Street College of Education, Five Towns College, St. John’s University, and Long Island University.

Amongst the reasons for the honor, the Board of Trustees highlighted Dr. Sandford’s accomplishments as “an extraordinary educator, visionary leader, and tireless advocate for educational equity, whose storied career and unwavering commitment to advancing opportunities for the underserved and underrepresented, and particularly for people of African ancestry, through education, advocacy, and leadership, has profoundly impacted communities in New York and beyond.”

Dr. Sanford a CUNY alumna of Brooklyn College, also graduated from Wellesley College, and earned her doctorate degree at Fordham University as a Ford Foundation Fellow in Urban Education. On the occasion of the 125th Anniversary of Wellesley College in Massachusetts, the African Studies Department presented The First Distinguished Black Alumna Award to Adelaide Sanford in recognition of her lifetime accomplishments.

During her 19-year tenure as principal, Public School 21, the Crispus Attucks School in Brooklyn earned a reputation as an outstanding inner-city school where pupil achievement, teacher morale, and special programs for gifted and talented students brought city-wide recognition. In 1975, the New York State Chapter of the NAACP recognized P.S.21 for achieving the highest reading score of an urban school in New York State.

York College is excited to celebrate Dr. Adelaide Sanford one of CUNY’s most outstanding daughters, for her profound impact on the landscape of education and on the lives of thousands of children throughout her lifetime,” said Dr. Claudia Schrader,” president of York College. “From the classrooms of Brooklyn, to the esteemed halls of Harvard University, to the Board of Regents, Dr. Sanford has championed underserved communities and paved the way for future generations through an unwavering commitment to excellence. We are honored to award her with an honorary degree as a sign of gratitude and as a reminder to all educators that with passion and purpose we can create pathways to success for all.” 

Regent Sandford has received numerous awards during her career. They include the Humanitarian Award from the Congressional Black Caucus, the Distinguished Alumna Award from Brooklyn College, The Ellen Lurie Award from the Community Service Society, and the Josephine Shaw Lowell Award for her work in empowering low-income communities.