About

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