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Past Honorary Degree Recipients

At its Commencement each June, Dartmouth awards honorary degrees to select individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the arts and humanities, the sciences, business and industry or public service in the broadest sense. Degrees awarded include Doctorates of Arts, Humane Letters, Laws, Letters, and Science.

This directory contains honorary degree recipients at Dartmouth from the year 2000 onward.

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Kunzel, Erich '57

Year

2007

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Lambert, Phyllis

Year

2001

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Lee, Yuan Tseh

Year

2002

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Lehrer, Jim

Year

2006

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Lerner, Gerda

Year

2002

Degree Awarded

Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Lewis, Earl

Year

2015

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Lewis, Stephen

Commencement Speaker
Watch the 2010 commencement address by Stephen Lewis.

Year

2010

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Commencement Speaker, External Recipient

Lim, Younsook

Year

2012

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Dartmouth First Lady

Lord, Philip Anderson '97

Commencement Speaker
Watch the 2023 Commencement address by Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

Year

2023

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient, Commencement Speaker

Lubcenco, Jane

Year

2009

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Lynge, Aqqaluk

Year

2012

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Ma, Yo-Yo

Commencement Speaker
Watch the 2019 Commencement address by Yo-Yo Ma.

Year

2019

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

Commencement Speaker, External Recipient

MacLean, Barry '60, Th'61

Year

2010

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Manual, Ralph N. '58

Year

2008

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Mays, Willie

Year

2007

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

McColloch, Norman E., Jr. '50

Year

2000

Degree Awarded

Laws

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

McCullough, David

Commencement Speaker

Year

2003

Degree Awarded

Letters

Recipient Classification

Commencement Speaker, External Recipient

Mda, Zakes

Year

2014

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Merwin, W. S.

Year

2003

Degree Awarded

Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Miller, Christopher '97

Commencement Speaker
Watch the 2023 Commencement address by Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

Year

2023

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient, Commencement Speaker

Mitchell, Arthur

Year

2002

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Momaday, N. Scott

Year

2021

Degree Awarded

Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Moniz, Ernest J.

Year

2021

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Murati, Mira

Year

2024

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Nachtwey, James '70

Year

2010

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Nakasone, Paul

Year

2024

Degree Awarded

Laws

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Nef, Evelyn Stefansson

Year

2002

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Neukom, William '64

Year

2015

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Newman, Dava

Year

2022

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

O'Brien, Conan

Commencement Speaker
Watch the 2011 commencement address by Conan O'Brien.

Year

2011

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

Commencement Speaker, External Recipient

Obomsawin, Alanis

Year

2013

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Oliver, Mary

Year

2007

Degree Awarded

Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Otero, Maria

Year

2009

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Page, Richard M. '54

Year

2004

Degree Awarded

Laws

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Paulson, Henry M. '68

Commencement Speaker

Year

2007

Degree Awarded

Laws

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient, Commencement Speaker

Pendleton, Moses '71

Year

2021

Degree Awarded

Arts

Picoult, Jodi

Year

2010

Degree Awarded

Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Plank, Terry '85

Year

2015

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Prabhakar, Arati

Year

2016

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Ranger, Richard

Year

2024

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Rhimes, Shonda '91

Commencement Speaker
Watch the 2014 commencement address by Shonda Rhimes '91.

Year

2014

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient, Commencement Speaker

Rich, John A. '80

Year

2007

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Rodin, Judith

Year

2007

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Rogers, Fred '50

Commencement Speaker
Watch the 2002 commencement address by Fred Rogers '50.

Year

2002

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient, Commencement Speaker

Rosenwald, E. John, Jr. '52, Tu'53

Year

2002

Degree Awarded

Laws

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Roth, Steven '62 Tu'63

Year

2012

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Rowley, Janet D.

Year

2004

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Rowling, J. K.

Year

2000

Degree Awarded

Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Rubenstein, David

Year

2018

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Rubin, Robert E.

Year

2000

Degree Awarded

Laws

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Russell, Bill

Year

2009

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Russell, Gordon W. '55

Year

2005

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Sinegal, James

Year

2017

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Smith, Anna Deavere

Year

2017

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Steele, Valerie '78

Year

2015

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Suresh, Subra

Year

2013

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Tapper, Jake '91

Commencement Speaker
Watch the 2017 commencement address by Jake Tapper '91.

Year

2017

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient, Commencement Speaker

Tompkins, Hilary '90

Year

2019

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Tyson, Cicely

Year

2008

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Urshel, John

Year

2024

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Vagelos, Roy

Year

2024

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Venegas Jr., Frank

Year

2016

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

von Reyn, C. Fordham '67

Year

2017

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Waters, Alice

Year

2004

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Watson, James

Year

2001

Degree Awarded

Science

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

West, W. Richard, Jr.

Year

2007

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Whittemore, Frederick B. '53, Tu'54

Year

2003

Degree Awarded

Laws

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Wiesel, Elie

Commencement Speaker

Year

2006

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Commencement Speaker, External Recipient

Williams, Tod & Billie Tsien

Year

2019

Degree Awarded

Arts

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Wilson, Benjamin '73

Year

2023

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Alumnus/a Recipient

Wilson, Russell

Commencement Speaker
Watch the 2022 Commencement address by Russell Wilson.

Year

2022

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Commencement Speaker, External Recipient

Wright, Jim

Year

2009

Degree Awarded

Laws

Recipient Classification

Retiring Dartmouth President

Wright, Susan

Year

2009

Degree Awarded

Humane Letters

Recipient Classification

Dartmouth First Lady

Yergin, Daniel

Year

2016

Degree Awarded

Letters

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Young, Andrew

Year

2005

Degree Awarded

Laws

Recipient Classification

External Recipient

Pages