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
Dr. Maggie Koong, Business Executive
Gloria Molina, Politician
Peter Verbiscar-Brown, 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.)
2015 Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
2016 Maria Contreras-Sweet, Business Executive
James "Mudcat" Grant, Professional Athlete		 Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
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
Lydia Kennard, Business Executive		 Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
2022 Jan Gustafson-Corea
California Association for Bilingual Education		 Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
2022 Shaun Harper
USC Race and Equity Center		 Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
2023 Erin Aubry Kaplan
Journalist, Educator		 Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
2023 Arthur Allan-Seidelman
American Director		 Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
2024

Fred Claire 
Acclaimed Major League Baseball Executive

Faisal Saeed Al Mutar 
Founder of Ideas Beyond Borders

 Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
2025 J. Stanley Sanders '63
Attorney		 Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
2026 Jim Abbott
Major League Baseball pitcher		 Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)