Category: Honorary Degrees

At the 149th University of Washington Commencement, on June 8, 2024, the honorary degree of Doctor of Science was conferred upon atmospheric scientist Susan Solomon.  She was presented with a framed honorary degree and framed citation for the honorary degree.

At the 149th University of Washington Commencement Ceremony, on June 8, 2024, the honorary degree of Doctor of Human Letters was conferred upon author Daniel James Brown.  He was presented with a framed honorary degree and framed citation for the honorary degree. Mr. Brown delivered the Commencement address

At the 147th University of Washington Commencement Ceremony, on June 11, 2022, the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters was conferred upon Tony Award winning producer and actor Ron Simons.  He was presented with a framed honorary degree and framed citation for the honorary degree. Mr. Cole delivered the Commencement address.

At the 142nd University of Washington Commencement Ceremony, on June 10, 2017, the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters was conferred upon Johnnetta Betsch Cole anthropologist, educator, pioneer in African-American studies, and the first African-American female president of Spelman College.

At the 141st University of Washington Commencement Ceremony, on June 11, 2016, the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters was conferred upon Mark Charles Pigott, former CEO and current Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of PACCAR.

At the 140th University of Washington Commencement Ceremony, on June 13, 2015, the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred on the Honorable Christine O. Gregoire, former two-term governor and three-term attorney general of the state of Washington.

At the 139th University of Washington Commencement Ceremony, on June 14, 2014, the honorary degree of Doctor of Science was conferred on Steven Anthony Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft.

At the 138th University of Washington Commencement Ceremony, on June 15, 2013, the honorary degree of Doctor of Science was conferred on Jon Huntsman, Jr, former Ambassador to China and governor of Utah.

At the 135th University of Washington Commencement Ceremony, on June 12, 2010, the honorary degree of Doctor of Arts was conferred on Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, founding artistic directors of Pacific Northwest Ballet.

At a special University of Washington convocation, held on October 26, 2009, the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred on Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

At the 134th University of Washington Commencement Ceremony, on June 13, 2009, the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters was conferred on Yakima Nation tribal elder and linguist, Virginia Beavert.

At the 134th University of Washington Commencement Ceremony, on June 13, 2009, the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred on U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.

At the 25th Freshman Convocation, on September 21, 2008, the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters was conferred on William H. Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

At the 25th Freshman Convocation, on September 21, 2008, the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters was conferred on William H. Gates III, the founder and chairman of Microsoft Corporation and a co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

At the University of Washington Bothell commencement ceremony, held on June 15, 2008, the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters was conferred on Greg Mortenson, renowned humanitarian, author and mountaineer.

At the 133rd University of Washington Commencement Ceremony, held on June 14, 2008, an honorary Doctor of Arts degree was conferred on Quincy Jones, legendary producer, arranger, composer, director and humanitarian.

On May 18, 2008, honorary Bachelor of Arts degrees were bestowed on 449 Japanese American students who were forced to leave the University in 1942 following an executive order by President Franklin Roosevelt that led to the incarceration of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans on the west coast. In 1988 Congress passed a resolution which officially apologized for and redressed the injustices suffered by Japanese Americans due to this order. Honorees were presented with mementos containing the Japanese American Students’ Citation for the Honorary Degree, special stoles, and copies of The Fountain and the Mountain, a history, with beautiful photos, of the UW campus.

An Academic Convocation was held on April 14, 2008 to bestow an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibet and was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 1989.

During the 131st Commencement Ceremony in June of 2006 an honorary Doctor of Laws was bestowed on William D. Ruckelshaus, a two time administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

During the 129th Commencement Ceremony in June of 2004 an honorary Doctor of Arts was bestowed on August Wilson, playwright and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.

During the 127th Commencement Ceremony in June of 2002 an honorary Doctor of Laws was bestowed on Madeleine Korbel Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State.

An Academic Convocation was held in May of 2002 to bestow an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on Desmond Mpilo Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa and 1984 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

Between 1894 and 2002, the University awarded only one honorary degree. On November 30, 1921, an honorary Doctor of Laws degree was conferred on French Marshal Ferdinand Foch, who was the supreme commander of the Allied armies during the final year of World War I.

In 1894 an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree was conferred upon Frederic James Grant, who was the Editor-in-Chief of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, a member of the first Washington State legislature, and an envoy to Bolivia under President Benjamin Harrison.

In 1888 the UW awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree to Rev. William B. Lee.

(Grateful acknowledgement is made to Dr. Robert L. Welsh for his invaluable assistance in locating this photograph).

In 1887 the UW awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree to Rev. John R. Thompson.

(Grateful acknowledgement is made to Dr. Robert L. Welsh for his invaluable assistance in locating this photograph).

In 1887 the UW awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree to Rev. D. J. Pierce.

(Grateful acknowledgement is made to Dr. Robert L. Welsh for his invaluable assistance in locating this photograph).

The first University of Washington honorary degree, a Doctor of Laws, was conferred upon Orange Jacobs by the Territorial University of Washington in 1885.  Mr. Jacobs was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Territory of Washington from 1871-1875, a member of the 44th and 45th Congresses (1875-1879), and the mayor of Seattle (1880).