Skip to main content

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
CONTACT

Office of the President

St. Mary's Hall
300 College Park
Dayton, Ohio 45469 - 1624
937-229-4122