Each year, the Faculty of Whittier College have 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 | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1915 | Thomas Newlin | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1916 | Charles E. Tebbetts William P. Trueblood |
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Master of Arts (M.A.) |
| 1917 | Gilbert Bowles | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1918 | H. Edwin McGrew John S. Kimber |
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) |
| 1927 | Willard O. Trueblood William John Cooper |
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1928 | Lou Henry Hoover | Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.) |
| 1929 | Francis J. Dell Vierling Kersey |
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1932 | Imelda E. Brooks | Master of Education (M.Ed.) |
| 1934 | Walter Friar Dexter | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1937 | Mrs. Alexander R. Kerr | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1938 | Herbert E. Harris Gustaf F. Ostrom |
Doctor of Letters (Litt.D) Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1942 | O. Herschel Folger | Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1945 | George Reeves | Doctor of Laws (L.L.D.) |
| 1946 | Jessamyn West McPherson William O. Mendenhall |
Doctor of Letters (Litt. D) Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1947 | Harry Noble Wright | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1948 | Howard L. Hockett Rufus M. Jones |
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) |
| 1950 | Clarence Evan Pickett | Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1951 | Henry Joell Cadbury | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1954 | Richard M. Nixon | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1956 | LaMotte T. Cohu | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1957 | Preston Hotchkis Donald Byron Spitler Aubrey Wardman |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1958 | Wofford B. Camp | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1959 | John Stauffer | Doctor of Laws (LL.D) |
| 1960 | Benjamin K. Swartz | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1961 | Joseph Herschel Coffin Herman H. Henkle Lewis Elden Smith |
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 |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1963 | E. Ezra Ellis Mark O. Hatfield Harold Foster Spencer |
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1964 | William McCormick Blair, Jr. Arthur G. Coons Edward J. Guirado |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1965 | Evangeline Brainard Burgess Leslie Townes (Bob) Hope Warren Barr Knox Margaret Chase Smith |
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 | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1968 | Richard Armour Eugene Gonzales Leo E. Owens |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1969 | Frank Borman Robert D. Fisher Stanley Meyer |
Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1970 | Harold C. Case Raymond Philip Shafer |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) At the Inaugural Convocation of Dr. Fredrick Moore Binder |
| 1971 | Arnold O. Beckman Melvin Calvin Kristen Stendahl |
Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1972 | Patricia Reilly Hitt Robert M. McAllister N. Loyall McLaren Elliot Lee Richardson |
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. Allan W. Ostar W. Clement Stone |
Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1974 | Jessamyn West McPherson Donald E. Graham |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1975 | John Hope Franklin Walter Manuel Garcia Howard Payne House |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Science (Sc. D.) |
| 1976 | Thomas Bradley William H.D. Hornaday |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1977 | Albert R. Behnke, Jr. Thomas W. Bewley John K. Van de Kamp Beverly M. Stauffer |
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 Ross McCollum Carl E. Sagan |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Science (Sc. D) |
| 1979 | Ray Douglas Bradbury Henry A. Lacy John A. Murdy, Jr. |
Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1980 | Theodor Seuss Geisel John Houseman |
Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1981 | Julian Nava Wallace R. Turner |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1982 | Ernest L. Boyer Oscar O. Marshburn Carl L. Randolph. Jr. |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1983 | Knud Helm-Erichsen Charles T. Manatt |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1984 | Paul Blair Salmon Peter Heath Dailey Richard H. Deihl |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) |
| 1985 | Jan de Hartog Klane E. Robison |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1986 | Ernest J. Gaines Robert F. Rockwell |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1987 | Yuri V. Medvedkov Jack Smith William F. House |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1988 | Francis L. Dale Stuart E. Gothold Joseph W. Elder Barry Lopez R. Chandler Myers |
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 F. Sherwood Rowland |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1990 | Morris S. Dees, Jr. Benjamin B. Tregoe, Jr. |
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1991 | Paul C.W. Chu Martin E. Marty |
Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1992 | Donald M. Stewart Ruth B. Shannon Ed L. Shannon, Jr. Tanya Tull |
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 Lilian G. Katz Gordon Gund |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1994 | Archbishop Trevor Huddleston Rayburn S. Dezember |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1995 | Frank O. Gehry Clinton O. Harris Harry W. Nerhood |
Doctor of Humanities Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) |
| 1996 | Dolores Lautrup Ball Al Martinez Harriet H. Doerr Judith Malina |
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 Douglas W. Ferguson Dorothy Antoinette Handy (Miller) Tina Howe |
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. Arcardi Antonia M. Hernandez Zilpha Keatley Snyder 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 Barry Munitz Andres Uhrskov |
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 Robert A. Skotheim |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2001 | Michael Weinstein Julia Scofield Russell Esteban E. Torres |
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 Willard V. Harris, Jr. Norman Y. Mineta |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2003 | Charles Johnson Rosario Marin Alice Newsom Daniel Schorr Lisbeth Schorr |
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 Rev. Cecil L. "Chip"Murray Martin Ortiz '48 B. LaRae Orullian |
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 Rafer Johnson Ruben Martinez Gordon Sato |
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 Isabel Allende William C. Gordon |
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 Dr. Michael Shermer Venerable Grand Master Hsing Yun |
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 Al Young Bharati Mukherjee |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2010 | Nilo Cruz Luc Montagnier Keith Jackson Tim O'Brien Bill McKibben |
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 Judith Davidson Moyers |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2012 | David Bohnett Richard Solomon Dr. Mario J. Molina Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether Chauncey Veatch |
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 | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2014 |
Father Gregory Boyle |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2015 | Eric Garcetti | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2016 |
Maria Contreras-Sweet |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2017 | Solomon Trujillo | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2019 |
Maria S. Salinas |
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |