School Notes: Yale Divinity School
September/October 2016

Classroom renamed for first African American student

One of the school’s most commonly used classrooms will soon bear the name of James Pennington, an escapee from slavery who became a prominent nineteenth-century minister and abolitionist, and who was the first African American to attend classes at Yale Divinity School. Starting in October, the classroom formerly known as S100 will bear the name of Pennington, who sat in on classes at YDS in the 1830s but was required to remain silent and could not enroll for credit. “A student who was not allowed to speak,” said Dean Gregory Sterling, “will now have his name spoken every day at this school.”

From Sing Sing to Yale

Fifteen years ago, George Chochos peered out of the window of his cell at Sing Sing Prison in New York and reflected on his life. On May 25, Chochos ’16MDiv collected his Yale Divinity School degree and one of the school’s top honors—the Wolcott Calkins Prize for “excellence in clear and vigorous pulpit speaking.”

In a first-person account for Yale News, Chochos reflected on his remarkable journey and his vision for the future: “I hope, ultimately, that my time at Yale will demonstrate that people who return from prisons can live productive lives, in which they enhance their communities, become an asset to their families, and serve to end the destructive cycles that have trapped too many into lives of despair that only lead to sorrow and pain.” Chochos plans to continue his studies at YDS next year in pursuit of a master’s degree in sacred theology before moving on to a PhD program.

Iran honors YDS lecturer

Mary Evelyn Tucker, senior lecturer at the Divinity School and School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES) and codirector of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale, has been honored by the Iranian government for her work on religion and sustainable development. Tucker and Forum cofounder John Grim (her husband) traveled to Iran last spring to speak at the second international seminar, Religion, Culture, and Environment: Promoting Intercultural Dialogue for Sustainable Development. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani presented Tucker with an award recognizing her “efforts and achievements in preserving the essence of life and the global environment.”