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During its School of Law commencement ceremony on May 9, Loyola University Chicago will confer the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, on the Honorable Fay Hartog-Levin (JD ’75) in recognition of her enduring commitment to justice, ethical leadership, and the common good throughout her career in law, public service, diplomacy, and civic leadership.
Hartog-Levin is a distinguished fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, where she works on political, international, and environmental issues. She also serves as vice chair of the Council’s board of directors and continues to advise on global policy and civic engagement initiatives.
From 2009 to 2011, Hartog-Levin served as the 65th United States ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. As chief of mission, she led an embassy comprising 15 federal agencies across four locations and more than 250 employees. In 2018, the King of the Netherlands awarded her the royal decoration of officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau in recognition of her efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the U.S. and the Netherlands.
Earlier in her career, Hartog-Levin served on the executive management team of Chicago’s Field Museum as vice president of external affairs. She began her professional career as a legal advisor to the Illinois State Board of Education and later joined the law firm Seyfarth Shaw, where she represented school boards, colleges, and social service agencies. From 2013 to 2017, she was a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, teaching a course on federalism and state social policy.
Hartog-Levin has served in numerous civic leadership roles, including as trustee and board chair of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. She has also served on the boards of the Field Museum, Interfaith America, the National Archives Foundation, DePaul University, and Arts Alliance Illinois, among others. Her honors include the Illinois Arts Alliance Citizen Advocate Award and Loyola School of Law’s Damen Award for distinguished community service.
Hartog-Levin earned a BA in Russian language and literature from Northwestern University, a JD from Loyola’s School of Law, and the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from Knox College.
