Texas Tech University

Honorary Degrees

Texas Tech has bestowed honorary degrees since 1930. Honorary degrees conferred by Texas Tech are recommended by the President to the Chancellor and authorized by the Board of Regents.

They are conferred for public service, scholarship, or other contributions in the public interest. Nominations for honorary degrees may be made by faculty, staff, or members of the Board of Regents. Nominations are evaluated by an advisory committee appointed by the President, with administrative, faculty, and student representation, and recommendations will be made to the President.

Honorary degrees are awarded at commencement exercises.

Operating Procedure: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/op30.08.php

 

Honorary Degrees Conferred

Name Degree Date
Amon G. Carter Doctor of Laws Spring, 1930
Clifford Winslow Seibel Doctor of Science Spring, 1937
John Augustus Hulen Doctor of Laws Spring, 1940
Ernest Othmor Thompson Doctor of Laws Spring, 1940
John William Carpenter Doctor of Laws Spring, 1940
Clifford Bartlett Jones Doctor of Laws Spring, 1940
T. Whitfield Davidson Doctor of Laws Nov., 1944
Thomas Campbell Clark Doctor of Laws Spring, 1947
William M. Whyburn Doctor of Laws Spring, 1947
Dan Thornton Doctor of Laws Spring, 1952
Fred G. Gurley Doctor of Laws Spring, 1953
Dessie Marion Wiggins Doctor of Laws Spring, 1953
Robert Earl Karpor Doctor of Science Fall, 1957
Charles Bates Thornton Doctor of Laws Fall, 1957
Houston Harte Doctor of Laws Spring, 1958
Charles Collins Thompson Doctor of Laws Spring, 1958
Fred Farrel Florence Doctor of Laws Spring, 1959
Leonard Franklin McCollum Doctor of Laws Spring, 1960
George Herman Mahon Doctor of Laws Spring, 1962
Wilfred Thomas Doherty Doctor of Science Spring, 1963
Cal Farley Doctor of Humanities Spring, 1963
George W. Pfeiffenberger Doctor of Science Spring, 1964
John B. Connally Doctor of Laws Spring, 1965
George W. Dupree Doctor of Laws Spring, 1965
Peter Hurd Doctor of Fine Arts Spring, 1966
Licenciado Don Emilio Portes Gil Doctor of Laws Nov. 1, 1966
Stewart L. Udall Doctor of Laws Nov. 1, 1966
John W. Gardner Doctor of Laws Nov. 1, 1966
Laurance S. Rockefeller Doctor of Humanities Nov. 1, 1966
Waymond Austin Davis Doctor of Science Spring, 1967
Preston Smith Doctor of Laws Spring, 1967
Ben Barnes Doctor of Laws Spring, 1967
Carey Croneis Doctor of Science Spring, 1967
Lyndon Baines Johnson Doctor of Laws Oct. 26, 1967
Licencidado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Doctor of Laws Oct. 26, 1967
Charles Armor Guy Doctor of Laws June 1, 1968
Lewis George Weeks Doctor of Science May 16, 1970
Harold Hinn Doctor of Science May 16, 1970
Philip Overton (MS) Doctor of Science Dec. 4, 1975
W.O. Milligan Doctor of Science May 3, 1980
Carolyn Eisele Doctor of Humanities May 3, 1980
Betty Jane Brisco (HSC) Doctor of Humane Letters June 1, 1980
Alvin R. Allison Doctor of Laws May 15, 1981
Robert Cabaniss Goodwin Doctor of Humane Letters May 15, 1981
Sybil Harrington (HSC) Doctor of Humane Letters May 31, 1981
Sister Maureen Van der Zee (HSC) Doctor of Humane Letters May 14, 1982
Henry G. Cisneros Doctor of Laws Dec. 17, 1982
Billy Wayne Clayton Doctor of Laws May 13, 1983
Richard S. Colley Doctor of Science May 13, 1983
John Goodwin Tower Doctor of Laws May 11, 1984
George Valter Brindley, Jr. (HSC) Doctor of Humane Letters May 11, 1984
James Harris Sammons (HSC) Doctor of Humane Letters Jan. 18, 1985
May Owen (HSC) Doctor of Humane Letters Jan. 18, 1985
James Laurence Johnson Doctor of Humane Letters May 14, 1989
Trammell Crow Doctor of Humane Letters May 14, 1989
Turgut Ozal Doctor of Humane Letters Dec., 1988
J. Fred Bucy, Jr.  Doctor of Science Dec. 17, 1994
Glenna Goodacre Doctor of Fine Arts May 11, 1996
Queen Noor of Jordan Doctor of Humane Letters Dec. 14, 1996
Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. Doctor of Humane Letters May 10, 1997
Thomas Royal Phillips Doctor of Laws Dec. 20, 1997
Bobby G. Stevenson Doctor of Humane Letters May 9, 1998
Elmer Kelton Doctor of Humane Letters Dec. 19, 1998
Barry Lopez Doctor of Humane Letters  Dec. 16, 2000
D. Allan Bromley Doctor of Sciences Dec. 15, 2001
Joe Pevehouse Doctor of Humane Letters Aug. 10, 2002
Dolph Briscoe Doctor of Humane Letters Dec. 14, 2002
Jack Dale Doctor of Humane Letters May 17, 2003
John A. Buesseler Doctor of Humane Letters Dec. 17, 2005
Susan Polgar Doctor of Humane Letters May 12, 2007
Becky J. Lanier Doctor of Laws May 15, 2010
Margaret Talkington Doctor of Humanities Dec. 18, 2010
Carin M. Barth Doctor of Humane May 13, 2011
Wayne Isom, M.D. Doctor of Science Aug. 9, 2013
Timothy Cole  Law and Social Justice (Posthumous) Mar. 6, 2015
Lauro Cavazos Ph.D. Doctor of Science Feb. 26, 2016
Carey Hobbs Doctor of Humanities Aug. 12, 2016
Susan Graham Doctor of Musical Arts Feb. 22, 2019
John A. Sellers Bachelor of Science (Economics) Nov. 17, 2022
Tommie Huckabee Master of Architecture Aug. 11, 2022

Commencement