Honorary Degree Recipients

Honorary Degree Recipients

2024

  • Dr. Shaun Harper, Doctor of Humane Letters


2023

  • Mr. Andrew "Andy" Kampeter, Doctor of Letters
  • Mr. Michael J. Kampeter, Doctor of Letters 
  • Ms. Barbara Hill-Moore, Doctor of Fine Arts


2022

  • Galveston Lee Roy Shipley, Doctor of Humane Letters


2019

  • Mrs. Dorothy Steward, Doctor of Humane Letters


2018

  • Attorney A. Visanio Johnson, Doctor of Laws


2017

  • Nathaniel Jones, Doctor of Humane Letters


2016

  • Brigadier General Tammy Smith, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Judge Jon Gray, Doctor of Laws
  • Mrs. Valerie Daniels-Carter, Doctor of Humane Letters 
  • Ms. Jennifer Holliday, Doctor of Fine Arts


2015

  • Dr. Thomas Pawley III, Doctor of Fine Arts
  • Hon. William Blaine Luetkemeyer '74, Doctor of Laws
  • Mr. Cedric "The Entertainer" Kyles, Doctor of Fine Arts and Humane Letters
  • Mr. David Steward, Doctor of Science
  • Mrs. Patricia Russell-McCloud, J.D., Doctor of Laws
  • Ms. Alice Bingham '50, Doctor of Humane Letters


2014

  • Hon. Senator Michael Kehoe, Doctor of Humane Letters


2012

  • Mr. Joe E. Outlaw, Doctor of Humane Letters


2010

  • Mr. Richard Williams Sr., Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Mr. Troy J. Davis, Doctor of Science


2008

  • Dr. Boyce Courtney Williams, Doctorate of Humane Letters


2007

  • Mr. Charles "Charlie" Sifford, Doctorate of Laws


2006

  • Major General Henry W. (Hank) Stratman, Doctor of Humane Letters


2005

  • Dr. Julius Dix, Doctorate of Laws


2004

  • Mr. Wilbert Bryant, Doctorate of Laws


2003

  • Hon. Ann M. Veneman, J.D., Doctorate of Laws
  • Mr. Jack Oliver, Doctorate of Laws


2002

  • Dr. N. Joyce Payne, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Mr. Joe Torry, Doctor of Humane Letters


2001

  • Congressman William Lacy Clay, Doctor of Laws
  • Honorable Bob Holden II, Doctor of Laws
  • Mrs. Bette Spence-Dix, Doctor of Humane Letters


2000

  • Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Doctor of Laws


1999

  • Hon. Rep. Gracia Yancey Backer, Doctor of Laws
  • Hon. Rep. Paula J. Carter, Doctor of Laws
  • Hon. Senator Larry Rohrbach, Doctor of Laws


1998

  • Herbert Ellis, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • LTG Joe N. Ballard, Doctor of Laws
  • Raymond Marsh, Doctor of Humane Letters


1997

  • Garner Cotton Sr., Doctor of Humane Letters
  • William "Bill" Quigg, Doctor of Laws


1996

  • Louis W. Smith, Doctor of Humanities


1995

  • Allan William Ostar, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Clinita Arnsby Ford, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Joseph David Johnson, Doctor of Laws
  • President Bakili Muluzi, Doctor of Laws


1994

  • Congressman Ike Skelton, Doctor of Laws
  • Walter H. Sanderson, Doctor of Humanities


1993

  • Dr. James Frank, Doctor of Humanities
  • James B. Appleberry, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Mr. Charles Edward Coursey, Doctor of Humanities
  • Mrs. Susie Lenora Coursey, Doctor of Humanities


1992

  • BG Donald L. Scott, Doctor of Laws
  • Dr. Muriel W. Battle, Doctor of Humanities
  • Mr. Dwayne Crompton, Doctor of Humanities


1991

  • Julius Jay Hollis, Doctor of Humanities
  • Mrs. Yvonne Starks Wilson, Doctor of Humanities
  • Stephen E. Tallent, Doctor of Laws


1990

  • John Patrick Jordan, Doctor of Humanities
  • Jospeh "Jack the Rapper" Deighton Gibson, Jr., Doctor of Humanities
  • Mrs. William Weldon (Betty), Doctor of Humane Letters


1989

  • Leonard H.O. Spearman, Doctor of Humanities
  • Senator J.B. "Jet" Banks, Doctor of Laws


1988

  • Paul Findley, Doctor of Humane Letters


1986

  • A.C. Searles, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Ann E. Smith, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Inez Kaiser, Doctor of Laws
  • Luna Isaac Mishoe, Doctor of Science
  • Ollie W. Gates, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Patsy H. Sampson, Doctor of Laws
  • Richard Johnson, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Ronald L. Townson, Doctor of Humane Letters


1985

  • Bernie D. Dunlap, Doctor of Fine Arts
  • Gene Leroy Schwilck, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Henry Givens Jr., Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Jerome Jones, Doctor of Laws
  • John Morton-Finney, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Larry D. Folkins, Doctor of Laws


1984

  • Bernard C. Watson, Doctor of Laws
  • Nathan B. Young, Doctor of Laws
  • Paul J. Kofmehl, Doctor of Laws


1982

  • E. De La Garza II


1981

  • Earl Wilson Jr., Doctor of Letters
  • Joseph S. McDuffie, Doctor of Letters
  • Judge Lewis W. Clymer, Doctor of Letters
  • Theodore McMillian, Doctor of Letters


1980

  • Lucille Bluford, Doctor of Humanities
  • Thomas Shropshire, Doctor of Laws


1979

  • Jesse Hill, Doctor of Laws


1978

  • Moses Carl Holman, Doctor of Laws


1977

  • Kenneth B. Billups, Doctor of Humanities
  • Owen Vincent Dodson, Doctor of Letters


1976

  • Frederick O'Neal, Doctor of Humanities


1975

  • Gordon Parks, Doctor of Humanities
  • Lionel H. Newsom, Doctor of Humanities
  • Percy L. Julian, Doctor of Science


1973

  • Judge Scovel Richardson, Doctor of Laws
  • Robert R. Wheeler, Doctor of Laws


1972

  • Walter C. Daniel, Doctor of Laws


1971

  • John H. Johnson, Doctor of Laws
  • Samuel Shephard, Doctor of Laws
  • Senator Edgar J. Keating, Doctor of Laws
  • Senator Edward Brooke, Doctor of Laws


1970

  • Thurgood Marshall, Doctor of Laws


1968

  • James McKinely Neal, Doctor of Humanities
  • Theodore D. McNeal, Doctor of Humanities


1957

  • Thomas Hart Benton, Doctor of Letters


1956

  • H. Byron Masterson, Doctor of Education


1953

  • Dr. John Edward Perry, Doctor of Science
  • Joseph Doliver Eliff, Doctor of Education
  • Julia Childs Curtis, Doctor of Humanities


1941

  • J. Ernest Wilkins Sr., Doctor of Laws
  • Paul Williams, Doctor of Science


1918

  • Ernest O. Boone, A.M.
  • W.J. Hale, A.M.


1917

  • Hugh V. Wallace, A.M.
  • Walter H. Harrison, A.M.
  • William H. Jones, A.M.


1916

  • Charles H. Brown, A.M.
  • David E. Gordon, A.M.
  • J.R.A. Crossland, Doctor of Laws
  • Joe E. Herriford, A.M.
  • Richard T. Cole, A.M.


1915

  • Leslie B. Quinn, A.M.
  • Oscar Spenser, A.M.
  • Romeo A. West, A.M.
  • Victor H. Collins, A.M.
  • W.H. Jones, A.M.


1912

  • John B. Davis, A.M.


1911

  • C.C. Hubbard, A.M.


1909

  • J.H. Kenner, A.M.
  • J.S. Simms, A.M.


1901

  • William T. Vernon, A.M.


1900

  • Joseph Silar Harris, B.S.D.


1898

  • Enos L. Scruggs, A.M.
  • James W. Baldwin, A.M.


Unknown

  • Honorable William Clay, Doctor of Laws
  • Mayor John G. Christy, Doctor of Humanities