Honorary Degrees
The awarding of honorary degrees is an extension of the university's goal of recognizing exceptional achievements.
The awarding of an honorary degree is among the highest honors the university confers, and brings distinction to both the recipient and the university. Honorary degrees should be awarded for extraordinary accomplishments and contributions that are aligned with the mission of the institution.
Visit Honorary Degree, University Policy 3670 for guidelines and nomination procedures.
Honorary Degree Recipients
| Year | Recipient | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Dr. Brage Golding | Doctor of Laws |
| 1975 | Mr. Frederick A. White | Doctor of Laws |
| 1975 | Dr. Lionel Newsom | Doctor of Laws |
| 1976 | Mr. John Jakes | Doctor of Laws |
| 1976 | Mr. Robert S. Oelman | Doctor of Laws |
| 1977 | Mrs. Virginia Kettering | Doctor of Laws |
| 1977 | Mr. David L. Rike | Doctor of Laws |
| 1979 | Father Ray Roesch | |
| 1979 | Mr. C. William Verity, Jr. | |
| 1979 | Dr. Clifton Wharton, Jr. | |
| 1980 | Mr. Harry P. Jeffrey | |
| 1980 | Mrs. Thelma Fordham Pruett | |
| 1981 | Mrs. lvonette Wright Miller | Doctor of Laws |
| 1981 | Mr. Horace Wright | Doctor of Laws |
| 1982 | Mr. James McSwiney | Doctor of Laws |
| 1982 | Gov. James Rhodes | Doctor of Laws |
| 1982 | Mrs. Clara Weisenborn | Doctor of Laws |
| 1982 | Mr. Albert H. Sealy | |
| 1983 | Ms. Josephine Schwarz | Doctor of Laws |
| 1984 | Gen. Pres. Tsutomu Kake | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 1984 | Richard DeWall, M.C. | Doctor of Science |
| 1984 | Dr. Paul Katz | |
| 1984 | Ms. Helen Hooven Santmyer | |
| 1985 | Commodore Grace M. Hopper | Doctor of Science |
| 1985 | C. Chester Bussey | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 1986 | Gov. Richard Celeste | Doctor of Laws |
| 1986 | C.J. Mclin, Jr. | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 1989 | William B. Coulter | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 1995 | Virginia Hamilton | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 1996 | Suzanne Murray Bassani | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 1997 | Jeraldyne Blunden | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 1997 | Steve Mason | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 1998 | Dr. Allan Eckert | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 1999 | G. Wilkinson Wright | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2000 | Hon. Walter H. Rice | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2001 | Dr. Tom Crouch | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2002 | Dr. Fritz J. | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2002 | Delores Russ | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2004 | Dr. David Satcher | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2004 | Dr. Paul C. Lauterbur | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2005 | Raj Soin | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2005 | Warren Christopher | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2006 | Tony Hall | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2007 | Dr. David Albright | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2008 | Merle Grace Kearns | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2009 | Dr. David Ponitz | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2009 | Renate Frydman | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2010 | Dr. Herbert Woodward Martin | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2011 | Doreen Mogavero | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2012 | Neal Gittleman | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2013 | General Janet C. Wolfenbarger | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2014 | Deborah A. Feldman | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2015 | John L. Janning | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2015 | Sharon Honaker Rab | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2018 | Margaret Peters | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2019 | Amanda Wright Lane | Doctor of Humane Letters |
| 2023 | Sarah Lindsay Hackenbracht | Doctor of Humane Letters |
