2010 Honorary Degree Recipients
TBA
You can view a list of previous recipients here.
Honorary Degrees at USC
Since Commencement 1912, the University of Southern California has awarded honorary degrees, presently the highest award the university confers. Honorary degrees are given:
-
To honor individuals who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary achievements in scholarship, the professions or other creative activities, whether or not they are widely known by the general public;
-
To honor alumni and other individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the welfare and development of USC or the communities of which they are a part;
-
To recognize exceptional acts of philanthropy to the university and/or on the nation or world scene; and
-
To elevate the university in the eyes of the world by honoring individuals who are widely known and highly regarded for achievements in their respective fields of endeavor.
While USC once gave as many as 37 honorary degrees in a single year (in 1930), tradition generally limits the number of honorary degrees bestowed at commencement. Since 1946, USC has not given more then seven honorary degrees at a ceremony, and that number has not risen above six since 1975.
For more information about the nomination and selection process, please click here.
The History of Honorary Degrees
Honorary degrees began in the Middle Ages as a way for the ruling class to highlight individuals it felt warranted recognition. In the Elizabethan Era, honorary degrees were commonplace. The practice in America dates back to end of the 17th Century when Increase Mather received a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree from Harvard in 1692. Revolutionary War heroes were also chosen by Ivy League institutions for academic accolades; General George Washington was given a Doctor of Laws degree, also from Harvard.
By the mid-20th Century, universities began to work closely with faculty and trustees to devise an evaluation system, one that would ensure only the highest standards of excellence would be considered during the selection process. Individual universities still follow their own guidelines, but all remain aware of the sanctity of the honor. Generally, the honorary degree is a doctorate; masters’ degrees are rare, and Ph.D.s are unofficially prohibited.