W. Benson Harer Jr.
Physician, Noted Egyptian Antifacts Collector

California State University, San Bernardino

Whether researching ancient Egyptian artifacts, guiding the medical staff of a busy hospital, or spearheading a national force of 40,000 physicians devoted to improving women's health, William Benson Harer Jr., leader, doctor and collector, has devoted his time and energy with rarely equaled enthusiasm. The people of San Bernardino are the beneficiaries.

Following his father's footsteps in medicine, Dr. Harer received degrees from Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania before embarking on a long career in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. He maintained his practice in San Bernardino for more than thirty years and together with his partners delivered a measurable share of San Bernardino's population. Instead of retirement, Dr. Harer chose to go into teaching at San Bernardino County General Hospital and is now Chief of Staff at Riverside County Regional Medical Center.

In the 1960s Dr. Harer became active in the San Bernardino County Medical Society and served as its president in the mid-1970s. That society honored him in 1987 with its Nicholas Krikes Award for his services. Beyond the boundaries of San Bernardino, Dr. Harer distinguished himself in one of the nation's largest organizations of physicians, the Americans College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, serving as its California chairman and as national secretary, and just completing a year as the national organization's president. While president of the San Bernardino County Medical Society, Dr, Harer co-founded what was to become a national organization, Tef-Med. Inc. This service provides free taped information by telephone regarding basic health issues, and so far has received more than 300 million phone calls nationwide.

It is Dr. Harer's passion for Egyptian artifacts that brought him to CSU San Bernardino. His impressive collection is on long-term loan to the campus's Robert V. Fullerton Museum. It is the largest collection of Egyptian art and artifacts west of the Mississippi River and has become the centerpiece for many of the university's educational programs, including the "Summer Egyptian Experience," a program for children throughout the Inland Empire.

In recognition of his dedication to preserving life's priceless gifts, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University, San Bernardino are proud to confer upon W. Benson Harer Jr., the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.