Honorary Degrees
Each year, the Faculty of Whittier College has the distinct honor to nominate and select candidates to receive the College's highest award, the honorary doctorate.
Since the first ceremony in 1913, the impressive list of honorands has included pioneers, rising stars, and key contributors in the fields of science, business, politics, engineering, education, and the humanities, among others.
| Year | Honored | Degree Granted |
|---|---|---|
| 1913 | Ford Ashman Carpenter, Meteorologist | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1915 | Thomas Newlin, Former President of Whittier College | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1916 | Charles E. Tebbetts, Former President of Whittier College William P. Trueblood, Vice President and Professor of History and Sociology, Friends University |
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Master of Arts (M.A.) |
| 1917 | Gilbert Bowles, Quaker Missionary | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1918 | H. Edwin McGrew, Former President of Penn College John S. Kimber, Reverend |
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) |
| 1927 | Willard O. Trueblood, Member of the Religious Society of FRIENDS William John Cooper, Educator |
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1928 | Lou Henry Hoover, Former First Lady of the United States | Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.) |
| 1929 | Francis J. Dell Vierling Kersey, Former Superintendent of Public Instruction |
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1932 | Imelda E. Brooks, Former Director of Broadoaks School | Master of Education (M.Ed.) |
| 1934 | Walter Friar Dexter, Former President of Whittier College | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1937 | Mrs. Alexander R. Kerr | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1938 | Herbert E. Harris, English Professor, and Writer Gustaf F. Ostrom, Professor of Chemistry |
Doctor of Letters (Litt.D) Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1942 | O. Herschel Folger, Minister | Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1945 | George Reeves, Former President of Chapman University | Doctor of Laws (L.L.D.) |
| 1946 | Jessamyn West McPherson, Author William O. Mendenhall, Former President of Whittier College |
Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.) Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1947 | Harry Noble Wright, Former President of Whittier College | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1948 | Howard L. Hockett, Former Director of the Department of Music at Whittier College Rufus M. Jones, Writer, and Philosopher |
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) |
| 1950 | Clarence Evan Pickett, Theologian, and Quaker | Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1951 | Henry Joel Cadbury, Biblical Scholar | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1954 | Richard M. Nixon, Former President of the United States | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1956 | LaMotte T. Cohu, Business Executive | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1957 | Preston Hotchkis, Attorney, and Business Executive Donald Byron Spitler, Reverend Aubrey Wardman, Business Executive |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1958 | Wofford B. Camp, Agronomist | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1959 | John Stauffer, Business Executive | Doctor of Laws (LL.D) |
| 1960 | Benjamin K. Swartz, Archaeologist, and Educator | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1961 | Joseph Herschel Coffin, Author Herman H. Henkle Lewis Elden Smith, Business Executive |
Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1962 | Arthur Fisher Corey Joseph Parker Cosand, Jr. Paul S. Smith, Former President of Whittier College |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1963 | E. Ezra Ellis Mark O. Hatfield, Politician Harold Foster Spencer |
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1964 | William McCormick Blair, Jr., Former Ambassador Arthur G. Coons, Former President of Occidental College Edward J. Guirado, Judge |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1965 | Evangeline Brainard Burgess Leslie Townes (Bob) Hope, Comedian, and Actor Warren Barr Knox, Author Margaret Chase Smith, Politician |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1966 | Chester Earl Holifield, Politician | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1968 | Richard Armour, Poet Eugene Gonzales, Veteran, and Politician Leo E. Owens, Publisher |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1969 | Frank Borman, NASA Astronaut, and Aeronautical Engineer Robert D. Fisher, Wildlife Researcher Stanley Meyer, Inventor |
Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1970 | Harold C. Case, Academic Administrator Raymond Philip Shafer, Attorney, and Politician |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) At the Inaugural Convocation of Dr. Fredrick Moore Binder |
| 1971 | Arnold O. Beckman, Inventor, Chemist, and Philanthropist Melvin Calvin, Biochemist Krister Stendahl, Theologian |
Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1972 | Patricia Reilly Hitt, Former Assistant Secretary of Health, Education, Welfare Robert M. McAllister, Author N. Loyall McLaren, Business Executive Elliot Lee Richardson, Government Official |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Science ((Sc.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1973 | Richard P. Ettinger, Jr., Publisher, and Philanthropist Allan W. Ostar, Educator, and Activist W. Clement Stone, Business Executive, and Philanthropist |
Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1974 | Jessamyn West McPherson, Author Donald E. Graham, Publisher, Attorney |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1975 | John Hope Franklin, Historian Walter Manuel Garcia, Real Estate Executive Howard Payne House, Otologist |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Science (Sc. D.) |
| 1976 | Thomas Bradley, Former Mayor of Los Angeles, and Politician William H.D. Hornaday, Reverend |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1977 | Albert R. Behnke, Jr., Physician Thomas W. Bewley, Attorney John K. Van de Kamp, Former Los Angeles District Attorney Beverly M. Stauffer, Philanthropist |
Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1978 | Jan J. Erteszek, Legal Assistant Ross McCollum, Attorney Carl E. Sagan, Astronomer |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Science (Sc. D) |
| 1979 | Ray Douglas Bradbury, Author, and Screenwriter Henry A. Lacy, Methodist and Educator John A. Murdy, Jr., Business Executive |
Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1980 | Theodor Seuss Geisel, Author John Houseman, Actor, and Producer |
Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1981 | Julian Nava, Educator Wallace R. Turner, Former Whittier College Trustee |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1982 | Ernest L. Boyer, Educator Oscar O. Marshburn, Local Business Executive Carl L. Randolph. Jr., Business Executive |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1983 | Knud Helm-Erichsen, Business Executive Charles T. Manatt, Lawyer, and Politician |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1984 | Paul Blair Salmon, Former director of the American Association of School Administrators Peter Heath Dailey, Former US Ambassador Richard H. Deihl, Lieutenant, and Business Executive |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) |
| 1985 | Jan de Hartog, Playwright Klane E. Robison |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1986 | Ernest J. Gaines, Author Robert F. Rockwell, Researcher, and Professor |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1987 | Yuri V. Medvedkov, Professor Jack Smith, Filmmaker, and Actor William F. House, Medical Researcher |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1988 | Francis L. Dale, Former US Ambassador Stuart E. Gothold, Professor Joseph W. Elder, Scholar Barry Lopez, Author R. Chandler Myers, Lawyer |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1989 | Dorothy Wright Nelson, Judge F. Sherwood Rowland, American Nobel laureate, Professor of Chemistry |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1990 | Morris S. Dees, Jr., Attorney Benjamin B. Tregoe, Jr., Business Executive |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1991 | Paul C.W. Chu, Physicist Martin E. Marty, Religious Scholar |
Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1992 | Donald M. Stewart, Former President of Spelman Ruth B. Shannon, Philanthropist Ed L. Shannon, Jr., Business Executive Tanya Tull, Philanthropist |
Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Social Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1993 | Edward James Olmos, Actor, and Producer Lilian G. Katz, Educator Gordon Gund, Business Executive |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1994 | Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, Archbishop, and Philanthropist Rayburn S. Dezember, Business Executive, and Philanthropist |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1995 | Frank O. Gehry, Architect Clinton O. Harris, Former Whittier College Trustee, and Business Executive Harry W. Nerhood, Former Professor |
Doctor of Humanities Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) |
| 1996 | Dolores Lautrup Ball, Civic Activist Al Martinez, Writer Harriet H. Doerr, Author Judith Malina, Actress, Director, and Writer |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1997 | Robert F. Erburu, Business Executive Douglas W. Ferguson, Former Professor of Economics Dorothy Antoinette Handy (Miller), Musician Tina Howe, Playwright |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1998 | John A. Accardi, Business Executive Antonia M. Hernandez, Attorney, and Activist Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Author Donald E. Wood |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1999 | Charlotte D. Graham, Philanthropist Barry Munitz, Business Executive Anders Uhrskov, Former Director of the Danish Institute for Study Abroad |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2000 | Anthony R. Pierno '54, Attorney Robert A. Skotheim, Business Executive |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2001 | Michael Weinstein, Business Executive, and Philanthropist Julia Scofield Russell, Ecofeminist Esteban E. Torres, Politician |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2002 | Linda & Peter Biehl, Founders of Amy Biehl Foundation Willard V. Harris, Jr., Business Executive Norman Y. Mineta, Politician |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2003 | Charles Johnson, Writer, and Philosopher Rosario Marin, Former U.S. Treasurer Alice Newsom, Community Leader Daniel Schorr, Journalist Lisbeth Schorr, Policy Analyst |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2004 | Simon A. Levin, Ecologist Rev. Cecil L. "Chip" Murray, Pastor, and Activist Martin Ortiz '48, Founder of the Center of Mexican American Affairs B. LaRae Orullian, Business Executive |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2005 | Alfred J. Gobar '53, Economist and Business Executive Rafer Johnson, Film Actor and Decathlete Ruben Martinez, Journalist Gordon Sato, Cell Biologist |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2007 | Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles Isabel Allende, Writer William C. Gordon, Author |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2008 | Justice Richard Goldstone, South African Judge Dr. Michael Shermer, Scientific Writer Venerable Grand Master Hsing Yun, Buddhist Monk |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2009 | Marian Wright Edelman, Activist Al Young, Poet Bharati Mukherjee, Writer |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2010 | Nilo Cruz, Playwright Luc Montagnier, Virologist Keith Jackson, Sports Commentator Tim O'Brien, Novelist Bill McKibben, Environmentalist |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2011 | Bill Moyers, Journalist, and Politician Judith Davidson Moyers, Producer |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2012 | David Bohnett, Technology Entrepreneur Richard Solomon, Politician Dr. Mario J. Molina, Chemist Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether, Feminist Theologist Chauncey Veatch, Professor |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2013 | Sonia Nazario, Journalist | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2014 |
Father Gregory Boyle, Priest, and Business Executive |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2015 | Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2016 |
Maria Contreras-Sweet, Business Executive |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2017 | Solomon Trujillo, Technology Executive | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2019 |
Maria S. Salinas, Business Executive |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2022 |
Jan Gustafson-Corea |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2022 |
Shaun Harper |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2023 |
Erin Aubry Kaplan |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2023 |
Arthur Allan-Seidelman |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |