Honorary Degrees
Past Recipients
Recipients of honorary degrees must exemplify the Catholic and Marianist traditions and the values of the University. They also must manifest a significant association with the University or its mission. The University uses the bestowing of honorary degrees to demonstrate and reinforce the importance of taking an active role in community leadership and service.
Honorary degrees are awarded typically at major university events and ceremonies, including convocations, symposia, public lectures and commencements.
Honorary Degree Recipients
NAME | DEGREE |
Lucinda W. Adams | Doctor of Education |
Bro. Vianney Byeong Cho Ahn, S.M. | Doctor of Education |
Stanley C. Allyn | Doctor of Humanities |
Most Rev. Karl J. Alter, D.D. | Doctor of Humanities |
William S. Anderson | Doctor of Humanities |
Monsignor Harry J. Ansbury | Doctor of Humanities |
Dr. James A. Averdick | Doctor of Laws |
Dr. James A. Averdick | Bachelor of Arts |
Major Charles V. Bacon | Chemical Engineering |
Walter E. Baker | Doctor of Science |
Arnolda Helmig Becker | Doctor of Humanities |
Honorable Edwin G. Becker | Doctor of Laws |
Monsignor Ralph Beiting | Doctor of Humane Letters |
The Most Rev. Joseph L. Bernardine, D.D. | Doctor of Humane Letters |
John W. Berry | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Edward A. Blumenthal | Mechanical Engineering |
Matthias N. Blumenthal | Electrical Engineering |
Jeraldyne Blunden | Doctor of Fine Arts |
Erma Fiste Bombeck | Doctor of Humane Letters |
George Robert Bowers | Doctor of Education |
Ernest L. Boyer, Ph.D. | Doctor of Education |
Henry A. Breucker | M.S. Education |
Jane M. Britt | Doctor of Humanities |
Simon Burick | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Monsignor Edward F. Burke | Doctor of Philosophy |
Edward R. Burroughs | Doctor of Fine Arts |
Harry C. Busch | Bachelor of Arts |
Edward L. Buscher, M.D. | Doctor of Science |
Milton A. Caniff | Doctor of Fine Arts |
Terry D. Carder | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Sister Bernadette Marie Cashen, S.N.D. | Doctor of Education |
Victor J. Cassano Sr. | Doctor of Business Administration |
Archbishop Elias Chacour | Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa |
Joseph E. Chope | Doctor of Humanities |
Julien M. Christensen, Ph.D. | Doctor of Science |
Rev. George Clements | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Major General Cecil E. Combs | Doctor of Education |
James G. Conzelman | Master of Science |
James M. Cox Sr. | Doctor of Humanities |
Bro. John T. Darby, S.M. | Doctor of Education |
Willis Bing Davis | Doctor of Fine Arts |
Colonel Edward A. Deeds | Doctor of Humanities |
Major General Joseph T. Dickman | Doctor of Laws |
Sister M. Innocenta Donnelly, S.F.P. | Doctor of Humanities |
Rev. Avery Dulles, S.J. | Doctor of Theology |
Rev. Gerald W. E. Dunne | Doctor of Letters |
Thomas F. Eagleton | Doctor of Laws |
Charity A. Earley | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Rev. William Egan | Doctor of Philosophy |
Charles P. Eisenhauer | Mechanical Engineering |
Victor Emanuel | Doctor of Laws |
Ramón Estévez | Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa |
Rev. William J. Ferree, S.M. | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Harry F. Finke | Civil Engineering |
Samuel L. Finn | Doctor of Humanities |
Judge Arthur O. Fisher | Doctor of Laws |
Perry T. Ford | Doctor of Engineering |
Robert B. French | Doctor of Education |
Paul E. Garber | Doctor of Engineering |
Norman L. Gebhart | Doctor of Humanities |
Dr. Jo A. Geiger | Doctor of Education |
Michael J. Gibbons | Doctor of Laws |
Huber W. Gillaugh | Doctor of Humanities |
Governor John J. Gilligan | Doctor of Humanities |
Judge James J. Gilvary | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Dr. Phillip Gleason | Doctor of Humanities |
James E. Grimes | Civil Engineering |
John W. Harewood | Doctor of Education |
Sister Jean Patrice Harrington, S.C. | Doctor of Education |
Thomas F. Hart | Mechanical Engineering |
Jessie Scott Hathcock | Doctor of Humanities |
Mathias Heck, Esq. | Doctor of Humane Letters |
John F. Herkenhoff | Doctor of Humanities |
Martin J. Hillenbrand | Doctor of Letters |
John Hiller | Civil Engineering |
Monsignor F.G. Hochwalt | Doctor of Laws |
Carroll A. Hochwalt | Doctor of Science |
Albert F. Hochwalt | Doctor of Letters |
Rev. Paul J. Hoffer, S.M. | Doctor of Education |
Honorable Timothy Hogan | Doctor of Laws |
Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Arthur S. Holden Jr. | Doctor of Education |
David R. Holmes | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Joseph W. Holters | Electrical Engineering |
George K. Houghtailing | Civil Engineering |
Andrew S. Iddings | Doctor of Humanities |
Honorable Takajiro Inoue | Doctor of Laws |
Isaiah Jackson Jackson | Doctor of Music |
Richard J. Jacob | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Leon Jaworski | Doctor of Laws |
Isaac H. Jones | Doctor of Humanities |
Rev. Francis J. Jung, S.M. | Doctor of Letters |
Dorothy Kammerer, C.P.P.S. | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Paul Katz | Doctor of Music |
Robert J. Kegerreis | Doctor of Education |
Joseph E. Keller, Esq. | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Emil H. Kessler | Doctor of Science |
Virginia W. Kettering | Doctor of Humanities |
Eugene W. Kettering | Doctor of Humanities |
Charles F. Kettering | Doctor of Humanities |
William A. Keyes | Doctor of Laws |
Ursula M. King | Doctor of Divinity |
Rev. Theodore A. Koehler, S.M. | Doctor of Humanities |
Robert C. Koepnick | Doctor of Humanities |
E.J. (Joe) Koestner | Doctor of Science |
Bernard F. Kroger | Chemical Engineering |
Peter H. Kuntz | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Martin Charles Kuntz | Doctor of Humanities |
Bro. Elmer C. Lackner, S.M. | Doctor of Humanities |
Emerson H. Landis | Doctor of Education |
Edward C. Larkin | Civil Engineering |
Dolores R. Leckey | Doctor of Humanities |
Herman F. Lehman | Doctor of Humanities |
The Most Rev. Paul F. Leibold | Doctor of Humanities |
Evangeline Lindsley | Doctor of Humane Letters |
John R. Loofburrow | Doctor of Science |
Gerald J. Lynch | Doctor of Business Administration |
Rev. John Macquarrie | Doctor of Divinity |
Roger Makley | Doctor of Laws |
Herbert Woodward Martin, Ph.D. | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Anne O'Hare McCormick | Doctor of Laws |
Wade H. McCree Jr. | Doctor of Laws |
Monsignor Joseph D. McFarland | Doctor of Humanities |
James H. McGee | Doctor of Humanities |
Franklin H. McNutt | Doctor of Laws |
James W. McSwiney | Doctor of Humanities |
H. Talbott Mead | Doctor of Humanities |
Elsie Talbott Mead | Doctor of Humanities |
George Houk Mead | Doctor of Humanities |
Soia Mentschikoff | Doctor of Laws |
Robert H. Meyer | Doctor of Humanities |
Monsignor Cletus A. Miller | Doctor of Education |
John D. Millett | Doctor of Humanities |
Sir William F. Montavon | Doctor of Laws |
John E. Moore | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Bette Rogge Morse | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Charles H. Noll | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Rev. John P. O'Brien, O.S.A. | Doctor of Philosophy |
Robert S. Oelman | Doctor of Humanities |
Rev. Walter J. Ong, S.J. | Doctor of Humanities |
Theodore Oppenheim | M.S. Mechanical Engineering |
Joseph J. Pater | Bachelor of Arts |
Honorable Robert C. Patterson | Doctor of Laws |
Thomas F. Patton | Doctor of Laws |
Charles J. Pedersen | Master of Science |
Mike Peters | Doctor of Letters |
George A. Pflaum | Doctor of Letters |
Jesse Philips | Doctor of Humane Letters |
David C. Phillips | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Most Rev. Daniel E. Pilarczyk | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Louis F. Polk | Doctor of Engineering |
Doris and David Ponitz | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Ellen Jane Lorenz Porter, Ph.D. | Doctor of Fine Arts |
Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J. | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Rev. Gordon S. Price | Doctor of Humanities |
George B. Quatman | Doctor of Engineering |
General Edwin W. Rawlings | Doctor of Humanities |
Maurice R. Reichard | Doctor of Music |
Richard Reid | Doctor of Laws |
Charles H. Reiling | Doctor of Business Admin. |
Walter A. Reiling, M.D. | Doctor of Humanities |
Rev. George J. Rennecker, S.M. | Doctor of Education |
James Reston | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Honorable Walter H. Rice | Doctor of Laws |
Elliot L. Richardson | Doctor of Laws |
David L. Rike | Doctor of Humanities |
Burnell R. Roberts | Doctor of Business Admin. |
Rev. Raymond A. Roesch, S.M. | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Rutherford David Rogers | Doctor of Library Administration |
Miriam Rosenthal | Doctor of Humanities |
Brian H. Rowe | Doctor of Engineering |
Rabbi Selwyn D. Ruslander | Doctor of Humanities |
Monsignor Carl J. Ryan | Doctor of Education |
Bro. Bernard T. Schad, S.M. | Doctor of Education |
Betty Schmoll | Doctor of Humanities |
Josephine Schwarz | Doctor of Fine Arts |
Dr. Jeanne S. Schwengel | Doctor of Science |
William H. Sexton | Doctor of Laws |
Sanford M. Shapero | Doctor of Laws |
John C. Shea | Doctor of Laws |
Sister Lourdes Sheehan, R.S.M. | Doctor of Education |
George E. Sheer | Doctor of Humanities |
Robert W. Sherman | Doctor of Humanities |
John Q. Sherman | Doctor of Laws |
Monsignor Robert J. Sherry | Doctor of Humanities |
Roger B. Smith | Doctor of Business Admininistration |
Milferd A. Spayd | Doctor of Humanities |
George Sperti | Doctor of Science |
Sister Dorothy Stang, S.N.D. | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Bland L. Stradley, L.L.D. | Doctor of Education |
James M. Stuart Sr. | Doctor of Humanities |
The Most Rev. Edward E. Swanstrom, D.D. | Doctor of Humanities |
Frank M. Tait | Doctor of Science |
Charles E. Taylor, Ph.D. | Doctor of Education |
John F. Torley | Doctor of Humanities |
Sister Mary Peter Traviss, O.P. | Doctor of Education |
Wellmore B. Turner | Doctor of Laws |
Virginia Varga | Doctor of Education |
C. William Verity | Doctor of Humanities |
Hans J. P. Von Ohain, Ph.D. | Doctor of Engineering |
Hugh E. Wall Jr. | Doctor of Laws |
Hugh F. Wall Sr. | Doctor of Laws |
Franklin B. Walter, Ph.D. | Doctor of Education |
George W. Walther Sr. | Doctor of Engineering |
John L. (Jack) Warne | Doctor of Engineering |
Charles W. Washington | Doctor of Humanities |
Archbishop Rembert Weakland | Doctor of Humane Letters |
William H. Webster | Doctor of Laws |
Charles Wendelken-Wilson | Doctor of Music |
Charles W. Whalen Jr. | Doctor of Humanities |
Elie Wiesel | Doctor of Humane Letters |
Prof. Gerald L. Willis | Doctor of Science |
Jonathan Winters | Doctor of Fine Arts |
Ralph J. Wirshing | Doctor of Science |
Louis Wozar | Doctor of Humanities |
His Eminence Cardinal John J. Wright | Doctor of Humanities |
Orville Wright | Doctor of Engineering |
Rosamond M. Young | Doctor of Humane Letters |
James C. Zeder | Doctor of Engineering |