In 1884 Drake University awarded its first honorary degree, which recognizes the outstanding achievements of individuals in various endeavors. An honorary degree lauds individual merit, distinguished achievement, and/or exemplary service to Drake. Recipients receive their degrees at commencement.
Any member of the Drake community may nominate an individual for an honorary degree.
Lt. Gen. Russell C. DavisÈ
Doctor of Business AdministrationÈ
Year |
Name |
Degree |
1884 |
David R. Dungan |
A.M. |
1885 |
LaFayette Higgins |
A.B.C.B. |
1888 |
Calvin S. Blackwell |
A.M. |
1889 |
William F. Black |
LL.D. |
1890 |
H.O. Breeden |
LL.D. |
1891 |
B.O. Aylerworth (Pres.) |
LL.D. |
1892 |
D.W. Finlayson |
LL.D. |
1893 |
Henry Sabin |
LL.D. |
1894 |
J.H. Hardin |
LL.D. |
1896 |
Isaac N. McCash |
LL.D. |
1898 |
Edgar Odel Lovett |
LL.D. |
1899 |
J.B. Briney |
LL.D. |
1900 |
George H. Combs |
LL.D. |
1901 |
Morris E. (or Daly) Daily |
LL.D. |
1902 |
Eugene C. Sanderson |
LL.D. |
1904 |
A.B. Storms |
LL.D. |
1905 |
Julius Ceasar Martinez |
LL.D. |
1906 |
Theodore Perry Shonts |
LL.D. |
1909 |
George H. Combs |
LL.D. |
1911 |
Peter Ainslie |
D.D. |
1912 |
Cleo Madison Chilton |
D.D. |
1913 |
Idleman F. Schuyler |
D.D |
1914 |
Abram Edward Cory |
D.D |
1916 |
George W. Clarke |
LL.D. |
1917 |
Paphael Harwood Miller |
D.D |
1923 |
Johnson Brigham |
Litt. D. |
1924 |
Edward Scribner Ames |
LL.D. |
1925 |
Laurence Marcellus Larson |
LL.D. |
1926 |
Alfred John Pearson |
LL.D. |
1928 |
Shortridge Hardesty |
LL.D. |
1929 |
John Henry Booth |
D.D. |
1930 |
Philip Fox |
LL.D. |
1931 |
Basil Deane Gauntlett |
D. Mus. |
1932 |
Merlin Hall Aylesworth |
LL.D. |
1933 |
Henry Scholte Nollen |
LL.D. |
1934 |
John W. Studebaker |
LL.D. |
1935 |
John Wycliffe Black |
LL.D. & D.D. |
1937 |
Albert William Merrill |
LL.D. |
1938 |
Wilbert Lester Carr |
LL.D. |
1939 |
Arcule Guilemette Sheasby |
D. Mus. |
1940 |
Roy Gillispie Blakey |
LL.D. |
1942 |
Gardner Cowles, Jr. |
LL.D. |
1943 |
Elmer Kelso Higdon |
D.D. |
1944 |
Newell Devin McCombs |
LL.D. |
1945 |
Earl Vincent Moore |
D.F.A. |
1946 |
Frank Harold Spedding |
LL.D. |
1947 |
Wayne Lyman Morse |
LL.D. |
1948 |
Eliel Saarinen |
LL.D. |
1949 |
Seth B. Nicholson |
LL.D. |
1950 |
Kirk Fox |
LL.D. |
1952 |
Forrest W. Seymour |
LL.D. |
1953 |
Jack Finegan |
LL.D. |
1954 |
John B. Griffing |
LL.D. |
1955 |
J. Doyle Dewitt |
LL.D. |
1956 |
Fred Bohen |
LL.D. |
1957 |
Charles W. Mayo |
LL.D. |
1958 |
Burt J. Thompson |
LL.D. |
1959 |
Samuel C. Kinchloe |
D.D. |
1961 |
Clark Raymond Mollenhoff |
Litt.D. |
1963 |
Mae Yoho Ward |
D.D. |
1964 |
Ruth Elizabeth Eckert |
HH.D. |
1965 |
Raymond Philip Morris |
D.D. |
1966 |
Howard Hanson |
D.F.A. |
1967 |
Cuthbert C. Hurd |
LL.D. |
1968 |
Howard R. Bowen |
LL.D. |
1969 |
Fred H. Harrington |
LL.D. |
1970 |
C. Lalor Burdick |
LL.D. |
1971 |
Judge Otto Kerner |
LL.D. |
1972 |
George H. Olmsted |
LL.D. |
1973 |
Kenneth MacDonald |
Litt.D. |
1974 |
Charles L. Horn |
LL.D. |
1975 |
Kenneth Jernigan |
L.H.D. |
1976 |
Archie R. Boe |
LL.D. |
1977 |
Howard L. Benshoof |
Sc.D. in Ed. |
1978 |
Samuel H. Beer |
LL.D. |
1979 |
Dick Clark |
LL.D. |
1980 |
Paul F. Sharp |
LL.D. |
1981 |
Frances Bartlett Kinne |
D.F.A. |
1982 |
Maurice J. Dingman |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
1983 |
Fred L. Turner |
LL.D. |
1984 |
Edward P. Alexander |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
1985 |
James Mitchell |
Doctor of Fine Arts |
1986 |
Bayard Rustin |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
1987 |
William L. Brown |
Sc.D. |
1989 |
Neal E. Smith |
LL.D. |
1990 |
Madelyn L. Glazer |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
1991 |
Zenobia M. White |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
1992 |
Harold E. Hughes |
LL.D. |
1993 |
Donald C. Byers |
LL.D. |
1994 |
Martin E. Marty |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
1995 |
G. David Hurd |
Doctor of Public Service |
1996 |
John Chrystal |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
1997 |
Patricia Thrash |
Doctor of Human Letters |
1998 |
Johnnie Carson |
Doctor of Public Service |
1999 |
Daniel Jorndt |
Doctor of Public Service |
2000 |
Marie Wilson |
Doctor of Public Service |
2001 |
Michael Gartner |
LL.D. |
2002 |
General Wesley Clark |
Doctor or Public Service |
2003 |
Louis Lavorato |
LL.D. |
2004 |
Cushing Dolbeare |
Doctor of Public Policy |
2005 |
Roger Williams |
Doctor of Music |
2006 |
Cloris Leachman |
Doctor of Fine Arts |
2007 |
James Autry |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
2009 |
Bill Bryson |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
2010 |
Dick Oatts |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
2011 |
John Pappajohn |
Doctor of Business Administration |
2014 |
Dr. Richard Deming |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
2015 |
John Ruan |
Doctor of Business Administration |
2017 |
Ben Ullem |
Doctor of Laws |
2018 |
Wayne Ford |
Doctor of Humane Letters |
2019 |
Sen. Tom Harkin |
Doctor of Public Service |
2021 |
Lt. Gen. Russell C. Davis | Doctor of Public Service |
2022 |
Rocco Commisso | Doctor of Business Administration |