Honorary Degree Recipients

2024

• Dr. Shaun Harper, Doctor of Humane Letters

2023

• Mr. Andrew "Andy" Kampeter, Doctor of Letters
• Mr. Michael J. Kampeter, Doctor of Letters 
• Ms. Barbara Hill-Moore, Doctor of Fine Arts

2022

• Galveston Lee Roy Shipley, Doctor of Humane Letters

2019

• Mrs. Dorothy Steward, Doctor of Humane Letters

2018

• Attorney A. Visanio Johnson, Doctor of Laws

2017

• Nathaniel Jones, Doctor of Humane Letters

2016

• Brigadier General Tammy Smith, Doctor of Humane Letters
• Judge Jon Gray, Doctor of Laws
• Mrs. Valerie Daniels-Carter, Doctor of Humane Letters 
• Ms. Jennifer Holliday, Doctor of Fine Arts

2015

• Dr. Thomas Pawley III, Doctor of Fine Arts
• Hon. William Blaine Luetkemeyer '74, Doctor of Laws
• Mr. Cedric "The Entertainer" Kyles, Doctor of Fine Arts and Humane Letters
• Mr. David Steward, Doctor of Science
• Mrs. Patricia Russell-McCloud, J.D., Doctor of Laws
• Ms. Alice Bingham '50, Doctor of Humane Letters

2014

• Hon. Senator Michael Kehoe, Doctor of Humane Letters

2012

• Mr. Joe E. Outlaw, Doctor of Humane Letters

2010

• Mr. Richard Williams Sr., Doctor of Humane Letters
• Mr. Troy J. Davis, Doctor of Science

2008

• Dr. Boyce Courtney Williams, Doctorate of Humane Letters

2007

• Mr. Charles "Charlie" Sifford, Doctorate of Laws

2006

• Major General Henry W. (Hank) Stratman, Doctor of Humane Letters

2005

• Dr. Julius Dix, Doctorate of Laws

2004

• Mr. Wilbert Bryant, Doctorate of Laws

2003

• Hon. Ann M. Veneman, J.D., Doctorate of Laws
• Mr. Jack Oliver, Doctorate of Laws

2002

• Dr. N. Joyce Payne, Doctor of Humane Letters
• Mr. Joe Torry, Doctor of Humane Letters

2001

• Congressman William Lacy Clay, Doctor of Laws
• Honorable Bob Holden II, Doctor of Laws
• Mrs. Bette Spence-Dix, Doctor of Humane Letters

2000

• Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Doctor of Laws

1999

• Hon. Rep. Gracia Yancey Backer, Doctor of Laws
• Hon. Rep. Paula J. Carter, Doctor of Laws
• Hon. Senator Larry Rohrbach, Doctor of Laws

1998

• Herbert Ellis, Doctor of Humane Letters
• LTG Joe N. Ballard, Doctor of Laws
• Raymond Marsh, Doctor of Humane Letters

1997

• Garner Cotton Sr., Doctor of Humane Letters
• William "Bill" Quigg, Doctor of Laws

1996

• Louis W. Smith, Doctor of Humanities

1995

• Allan William Ostar, Doctor of Humane Letters
• Clinita Arnsby Ford, Doctor of Humane Letters
• Joseph David Johnson, Doctor of Laws
• President Bakili Muluzi, Doctor of Laws

1994

• Congressman Ike Skelton, Doctor of Laws
• Walter H. Sanderson, Doctor of Humanities

1993

• Dr. James Frank, Doctor of Humanities
• James B. Appleberry, Doctor of Humane Letters
• Mr. Charles Edward Coursey, Doctor of Humanities
• Mrs. Susie Lenora Coursey, Doctor of Humanities

1992

• BG Donald L. Scott, Doctor of Laws
• Dr. Muriel W. Battle, Doctor of Humanities
• Mr. Dwayne Crompton, Doctor of Humanities

1991

• Julius Jay Hollis, Doctor of Humanities
• Mrs. Yvonne Starks Wilson, Doctor of Humanities
• Stephen E. Tallent, Doctor of Laws

1990

• John Patrick Jordan, Doctor of Humanities
• Jospeh "Jack the Rapper" Deighton Gibson, Jr., Doctor of Humanities
• Mrs. William Weldon (Betty), Doctor of Humane Letters

1989

• Leonard H.O. Spearman, Doctor of Humanities
• Senator J.B. "Jet" Banks, Doctor of Laws

1988

• Paul Findley, Doctor of Humane Letters

1986

• A.C. Searles, Doctor of Humane Letters
• Ann E. Smith, Doctor of Humane Letters
• Inez Kaiser, Doctor of Laws
• Luna Isaac Mishoe, Doctor of Science
• Ollie W. Gates, Doctor of Humane Letters
• Patsy H. Sampson, Doctor of Laws
• Richard Johnson, Doctor of Humane Letters
• Ronald L. Townson, Doctor of Humane Letters

1985

• Bernie D. Dunlap, Doctor of Fine Arts
• Gene Leroy Schwilck, Doctor of Humane Letters
• Henry Givens Jr., Doctor of Humane Letters
• Jerome Jones, Doctor of Laws
• John Morton-Finney, Doctor of Humane Letters
• Larry D. Folkins, Doctor of Laws

1984

• Bernard C. Watson, Doctor of Laws
• Nathan B. Young, Doctor of Laws
• Paul J. Kofmehl, Doctor of Laws

1982

• E. De La Garza II

1981

• Earl Wilson Jr., Doctor of Letters
• Joseph S. McDuffie, Doctor of Letters
• Judge Lewis W. Clymer, Doctor of Letters
• Theodore McMillian, Doctor of Letters

1980

• Lucille Bluford, Doctor of Humanities
• Thomas Shropshire, Doctor of Laws

1979

• Jesse Hill, Doctor of Laws

1978

• Moses Carl Holman, Doctor of Laws

1977

• Kenneth B. Billups, Doctor of Humanities
• Owen Vincent Dodson, Doctor of Letters

1976

• Frederick O'Neal, Doctor of Humanities

1975

• Gordon Parks, Doctor of Humanities
• Lionel H. Newsom, Doctor of Humanities
• Percy L. Julian, Doctor of Science

1973

• Judge Scovel Richardson, Doctor of Laws
• Robert R. Wheeler, Doctor of Laws

1972

• Walter C. Daniel, Doctor of Laws

1971

• John H. Johnson, Doctor of Laws
• Samuel Shephard, Doctor of Laws
• Senator Edgar J. Keating, Doctor of Laws
• Senator Edward Brooke, Doctor of Laws

1970

• Thurgood Marshall, Doctor of Laws

1968

• James McKinely Neal, Doctor of Humanities
• Theodore D. McNeal, Doctor of Humanities

1957

• Thomas Hart Benton, Doctor of Letters

1956

• H. Byron Masterson, Doctor of Education

1953

• Dr. John Edward Perry, Doctor of Science
• Joseph Doliver Eliff, Doctor of Education
• Julia Childs Curtis, Doctor of Humanities

1941

• J. Ernest Wilkins Sr., Doctor of Laws
• Paul Williams, Doctor of Science

1918

• Ernest O. Boone, A.M.
• W.J. Hale, A.M.

1917

• Hugh V. Wallace, A.M.
• Walter H. Harrison, A.M.
• William H. Jones, A.M.

1916

• Charles H. Brown, A.M.
• David E. Gordon, A.M.
• J.R.A. Crossland, Doctor of Laws
• Joe E. Herriford, A.M.
• Richard T. Cole, A.M.

1915

• Leslie B. Quinn, A.M.
• Oscar Spenser, A.M.
• Romeo A. West, A.M.
• Victor H. Collins, A.M.
• W.H. Jones, A.M.

1912

• John B. Davis, A.M.

1911

• C.C. Hubbard, A.M.

1909

• J.H. Kenner, A.M.
• J.S. Simms, A.M.

1901

• William T. Vernon, A.M.

1900

• Joseph Silar Harris, B.S.D.

1898

• Enos L. Scruggs, A.M.
• James W. Baldwin, A.M.

Unknown

• Honorable William Clay, Doctor of Laws
• Mayor John G. Christy, Doctor of Humanities