Recipients of Honorary Degrees
As do most institutions of higher learning, Central Michigan
University recognizes individuals who have performed exemplary service
through the awarding of an honorary degree. This list of recipients
begins in 1945. In those cases where the recipient’s residence at the
time the award was given was noted in the records, it is also included
in this list. Where noted we have also indicated speakers at
commencement ceremonies.
1940 - 1949
| 1945 | Herman H. Dignan – Master of Public Administration |
| Floyd E. Armstrong – Doctor of Laws | |
| Thomas John Gunn – Doctor of Laws | |
| 1946 | Grant H. Brown – Doctor of Laws - Frankfort, MI |
| Arthur Dondineau – Doctor of Laws | |
| 1947 | No honorary degrees were awarded |
| 1948 | Norman Clarke – Doctor of Laws - Birmingham, MI |
| Stephen Nisbet – Doctor of Laws - Grand Rapids, MI | |
| John Tebbel – Doctor of Literature | |
| 1949 | Don VanderWerp – Master of Public Administration |
| Charles LeClair Taylor – Doctor of Laws - Lake City, MI |
1950-1959
| 1950 | Arthur H. Rice, Sr. – Doctor of Laws |
| Floyd E. Armstrong – Doctor of Laws | |
| Thomas John Gunn – Doctor of Laws | |
| 1951 | Glenn O. Blough – Doctor of Laws - Washington, DC |
| Terry Bannan – Doctor of Laws | |
| Lucy C. Morgan – Doctor of Laws - Webster, NC | |
| No honorary degrees were awarded | |
| James T. Milliken – Master of Public Administration | |
| Frank Heath – Master of Public Administration | |
| Don R. Mitchell – Master of Industrial Administration | |
| Dan F. Gerber – Master of Industrial Administration | |
| 1952 | Ottilia M. Frisch – Master of Education - Saginaw, MI |
| T. Ray Johnson – Master of Industrial Administration | |
| Alexander M. MacKay – Master of Public Administration | |
| John Tebbel – Doctor of Literature | |
| 1953 | James E. Pease – Doctor of Laws - Pompano Beach, FL |
| Arnell Engstrom – Master of Public Administration | |
| James D. MacConnell – Doctor of Laws, Portola Valley, CA | |
| Marion H. McClench – Master of Education | |
| Rae C. Hooker – Master of Public Administration | |
| 1954 | William Harrison Fetridge – Doctor of Laws - Chicago, IL |
| Alice Marie Miel – Doctor of Laws - New York, NY | |
| William A. Ellsworth – Master of Public Administration | |
| William H. Doerfner – Master of Industrial Administration - Bay Port, MI | |
| 1955 | Otto C. Pressprich – Doctor of Laws - Saginaw, MI |
| George W. Dean – Doctor of Laws | |
| George H. Fern – Doctor of Laws - Malvern, PA | |
| John A. Hannah – Doctor of Laws - Washington, DC | |
| 1956 | Roger Allen – Doctor of Laws |
| Leland Ira Doan – Doctor of Laws | |
| Mary Rittinger Keeler – Doctor of Laws | |
| John Barger Leighly – Doctor of Laws - Berkeley, CA | |
| Frank J. Manley – Doctor of Laws | |
| John Kimball Weiss – Doctor of Laws | |
| 1957 | January |
| Clifford E. Erickson – Doctor of Laws | |
| Paul H. Love – Doctor of Laws | |
| H. Carl Spitler – Doctor of Laws - Petoskey, MI | |
| June | |
| Carl Allan Gerstacker – Doctor of Laws - Midland, MI | |
| Everett N. Luce – Doctor of Laws - Sanford, MI | |
| William A. Neithercut – Doctor of Laws | |
| Mable Esther Rugen – Doctor of Laws - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| 1958 | January |
| Myron M. Riggs – Doctor of Letters - Cheboygan, MI | |
| Wilbur K. Pierpont – Doctor of Laws - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| Victor F. Spathelf – Doctor of Laws - Big Rapids, MI | |
| Sister Mary Bernetta Zietz – Doctor of Laws - Grand Rapids, MI | |
| June | |
| Samuel Miller Brownell – Distinguished Service Citation - Lake City, MI | |
| Phillip Francis Groesbeck – Distinguished Service Citation | |
| Rev. Charles W. MacKenzie – Distinguished Service Citation | |
| 1959 | January |
| Ernest Dale Kennedy – Doctor of Laws - Lake City, MI | |
| Elliott Cowgill Spratt – Doctor of Laws | |
| Glenn MacDonald – Doctor of Letters | |
| Benjamin Coppage Willis – Doctor of Humane Letters - Chicago, IL | |
| June | |
| Charles L. Anspach – Doctor of Letters - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Frank W. Braden – Doctor of Laws | |
| Marcillene Barnes – Doctor of Laws - Grand Rapids, MI | |
| Glenn L. Clayton – Doctor of Laws - Ashland, OH | |
| Allison Green – Doctor of Laws - East Lansing, MI | |
| Miss Ola B. Hiller – Doctor of Laws | |
| David H. Morgan – Doctor of Laws | |
| Donald Aldrich Wilbur, Sr. – Doctor of Laws | |
1960-1969
| 1960 | No honorary degrees were awarded. |
| 1961 | James A. Lewis – Doctor of Laws |
| Michael A. Miller – Doctor of Science | |
| Earl H. Cress – Doctor of Public Service | |
| 1962 | June |
| Dwight Healy Rich – Doctor of Laws | |
| Virgil Rowland – Doctor of Laws | |
| 1963 | January |
| Robert P. Griffin – Doctor of Laws - Washington, DC | |
| June | |
| James T. Park – Doctor of Science - Weston, MA | |
| Wesley W. Riches – Doctor of Science - Wilmington, DE | |
| Charles W. Thornthwaite – Doctor of Science | |
| 1964 | January |
| Dr. William Leroy Harrigan – Doctor of Laws | |
| John William Thomas – Doctor of Laws - Flint, MI | |
| June | |
| Nathaniel B. Nichols – Doctor of Science - El Segunda, CA | |
| Walter P. Nickell – Doctor of Laws | |
| John E. Warriner – Doctor of Laws - Christiansted, St. Croix Island, VI | |
| Theodore O. Yntema – Doctor of Laws - Bloomfield Hills, MI | |
| 1965 | January |
| Arnold Charles Ott – Doctor of Science | |
| Ramon S. Scruggs – Doctor of Laws - Boston, MA | |
| Mother Mary Victor Flannery – Doctor of Laws - Saginaw, MI | |
| June | |
| Carl R. Anderson – Doctor of Laws - Glennie, MI | |
| Otto Yntema – Doctor of Laws - Kalamazoo, MI | |
| Trygg Engen – Doctor of Science - Providence, RI | |
| 1966 | January |
| William Ray Prescott – Doctor of Laws - Conferred posthumously | |
| June | |
| Brig. Gen. William B. Kyes – Doctor of Public Service | |
| Lenore Lafount Romney – Doctor of Laws - Bloomfield, MI | |
| Charles J. Wolfe – Doctor of Laws - Detroit, MI | |
| 1967 | June |
| Timothy Robert Johnson – Doctor of Public Service - Arlington, VA | |
| John S. Tennant II – Doctor of Laws - New York, NY | |
| 1968 | January |
| John D. Millett – Doctor of Laws | |
| June | |
| Stephen A. Partington – Doctor of Laws - West Olive, MI | |
| E. Allan Morrow – Doctor of Laws - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| William G. Milliken – Doctor of Laws - Lansing, MI | |
| 1969 | January |
| Stanley J. Idzerda – Doctor of Humane Letters - Ithaca, NY | |
| H. Allan Barth – Doctor of Public Service - Lansing, MI | |
| Marjorie Peebles Meyers – Doctor of Science - Detroit, MI | |
| June | |
| James L. Farmer – Doctor of Public Service - Washington, DC |
1970-1979
| 1970 | January |
| Jacqueline Grennan Wexler – Doctor of Science - New York, NY | |
| June | |
| N. Scott Momaday – Doctor of Humane Letters - Santa Fe, NM | |
| Rev. Dr. Preston Bradley – Doctor of Humanities - Chicago, IL | |
| Bernard Lorimer – Doctor of Public Service - Midland, MI | |
| December | |
| Warner G. Rice – Doctor of Humane Letters - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| George J. Wallace – Doctor of Science - Grayling, MI | |
| Clifton R. Wharton, Jr. – Doctor of Public Service - Albany, NY | |
| 1971 | June |
| Robert L. Ewigleben – Doctor of Public Service - Big Rapids, MI | |
| December | |
| Dr. Roger W. Heyns – Doctor of Humane Letters - Washington, DC | |
| 1972 | May |
| Marvin E. Beekman – Doctor of Public Service - Lansing, MI | |
| Herbert H. Dow – Doctor of Laws - Midland, MI | |
| December | |
| Barbara Warne Newell – Doctor of Laws (unable to attend due to weather) | |
| 1973 | May |
| Barbara Warne Newell – Doctor of Laws - Wellesley, MA | |
| Dolores D. Wharton – Doctor of Humane Letters - East Lansing, MI | |
| Rev. Samuel DeWitt Proctor – Doctor of Humanities | |
| December | |
| Walter Adams – Doctor of Laws - East Lansing, MI | |
| Joseph P. Cosand – Doctor of Public Service - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| Rachel J. Andresen – Doctor of Humane Letters - South Lyon, MI | |
| 1974 | May |
| Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. – Doctor of Public Service - Washington, DC | |
| Rev. Dr. Stanley L. Jaki – Doctor of Laws - Princeton, NJ | |
| Ronald D. Yaw – Doctor of Laws - Frogmore, SC | |
| December | |
| Roger Wilkins – Doctor of Laws - New York, NY | |
| James Matlack Mitchell – Doctor of Public Service | |
| 1975 | May |
| Rafer Johnson – Doctor of Laws - Sherman Oaks, CA | |
| Hartford N. Gunn, Jr. – Doctor of Laws - Washington, DC | |
| Faith M. Johnston – Doctor of Letters - Rosebush, MI | |
| Eunice Kennedy Shriver – Doctor of Humanities - Washington, DC | |
| December | |
| Allan W. Ostar – Doctor of Letters (speaker) - Washington, DC | |
| Martha W. Griffiths – Doctor of Laws - Lansing, MI | |
| William Spoelhof – Doctor of Letters - Grand Rapids, MI | |
| 1976 | May |
| William T. Coleman, Jr. – Doctor of Laws (speaker) - McLean, VA | |
| Mary Frances Berry – Doctor of Humane Letters - Washington, DC | |
| Earle Burdette Barnes – Doctor of Humane Letters - Midland, MI | |
| Wilbur J. Cohen – Doctor of Laws - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| December | |
| Glenn A. Olds – Doctor of Science (speaker) - Anchorage, AK | |
| Virginia R. Allan – Doctor of Letters - Falls Church, VA | |
| 1977 | May |
| Hollis A. Moore, Jr. – Doctor of Laws (speaker) | |
| G. Robinson Gregory – Doctor of Laws - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| December | |
| Marjorie Bell Chambers – Doctor of Laws (speaker) - Washington, DC | |
| Wayne E. Grimm – Doctor of Letters - Royal Oak, MI | |
| Chester R. Anderson – Doctor of Laws - Kansas City, MO | |
| 1978 | May |
| John T. Bernhard – Doctor of Letters (speaker) - Kalamazoo, MI | |
| Michael P. Church – Doctor of Letters - Holmes Beach, FL | |
| December | |
| Alejandro Orfila – Doctor of Laws (speaker) - Washington, DC | |
| 1979 | May |
| Robert D. Swanson – Doctor of Laws (speaker) - Alma, MI | |
| Marguerite Berry Jackson – Doctor of Humanities - Lansing, MI | |
| Helen W. Milliken – Doctor of Humanities - Traverse City, MI | |
| December | |
| Jonathon Kozol – Doctor of Letters (speaker) - Boston, MA | |
1980-1989
| 1980 | May |
| Richard A. Enberg – Doctor of Laws (speaker) - Santa Fe, CA | |
| Wilfred Cantwell Smith – Doctor of Letters - Cambridge, MA | |
| December | |
| Russell Kirk – Doctor of Letters (speaker) - Mecosta, MI | |
| Harold T. Shapiro – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| 1981 | May |
| William D. Ford – Doctor of Laws (speaker) - Washington, DC | |
| G. Robert Koopman – Doctor of Humanities - Alva, FL | |
| Paul W. McCracken – Doctor of Public Service - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| December | |
| Lemuel Tucker – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Washington, DC | |
| Herbert H. Lyon – Doctor of Laws - Midland, MI | |
| 1982 | May |
| Carl Levin – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Washington, DC | |
| William M. Cruickshank – Doctor of Humane Letters - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| December | |
| J.P. McCarthy – Doctor of Communication Arts (speaker) - Detroit, MI | |
| Lyun Joon Kim – Doctor of Music - Seoul, Korea | |
| 1983 | May |
| Norman M. Krivosha – Doctor of Laws - Lincoln, Nebraska | |
| Damon J. Keith – Doctor of Laws - Detroit, MI | |
| Rachel B. Keith – Doctor of Public Service - Detroit, MI | |
| December | |
| William B. Boyd – Doctor of Public Services (speaker) - Racine, Wisconsin | |
| Mary Stallings Coleman – Doctor of Laws - Battle Creek, MI | |
| 1984 | May |
| Dale F. Stein – Doctor of Science (speaker) - Houghton, MI | |
| G. Roland Denison – Doctor of Public Services - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| December | |
| Robert Keeshan – Doctor of Public Services (speaker) - New York, New York | |
| 1985 | May |
| Robert Hefner – Doctor of Science - Midland, MI | |
| December | |
| Gerald A. Elliott – Doctor of Humane Letters - Grand Rapids, MI | |
| 1986 | May |
| Diether H. Haenicke – Doctor of Humane Letters - Kalamazoo, MI | |
| Sman Sangmahli – Doctor of Public Service - Bangkok, Thailand | |
| December | |
| Joe J. Stroud – Doctor of Communication Arts (speaker) - Detroit, MI | |
| 1987 | May |
| Neil S. Bucklew – Doctor of Humane Letters (speaker) - Morgantown, WV | |
| December | |
| Margaret M. Heckler – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Dublin, Ireland | |
| 1988 | May |
| Arthur E. Ellis – Doctor of Humane Letters (speaker) - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Robert E. McCabe – Doctor of Public Service - Detroit, MI | |
| Jack D. Sparks – Doctor of Commercial Science - St. Joseph, MI | |
| December | |
| Thomas J. Anderson – Doctor of Public Service - Southgate, MI | |
| 1989 | May |
| Loret Miller Ruppe – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Washington, DC | |
| December | |
| Roger L. Kesseler – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Midland, MI |
1990-1999
| 1990 | May |
| Alfred E. Cambridge, Jr. – Doctor of Commercial Science - Cincinnati, OH | |
| Terence F. Moore – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Midland, MI 48640 | |
| December | |
| B. Thomas Willison – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Larkspur, CA | |
| 1991 | May |
| Joseph E. Antonini – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Troy, MI | |
| December | |
| Larraine Matusak – Doctor of Education (speaker) - Battle Creek, MI | |
| Bernard Landuyt – Doctor of Education - Birmingham, MI | |
| 1992 | May |
| Governor John M. Engler (speaker) - Lansing, MI | |
| Governor John D. Waihee III – Doctor of Public Service - Honolulu, HI | |
| December | |
| Bobby William Austin – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Battle Creek, MI | |
| 1993 | May |
| Edward M. Elmendorf – Doctor of Education (speaker – 9:30 a.m. ceremony) - Springfield, VA | |
| Emeral A. Crosby – Doctor of Education (speaker – 1:30 p.m. ceremony) - Detroit, MI | |
| Richard A. Hazelton – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker – 5:30 p.m. ceremony) - Midland, MI | |
| December | |
| Helen Murray Free – Doctor of Science (speaker – 10:00 a.m.) - Elkhart, IN | |
| Timothy G. Quinn – Doctor of Education (speaker – 2:00 p.m.) - Traverse City, MI | |
| 1994 | May |
| Lawrence W. Reed – Doctor of Public Administration (speaker – 1:30 p.m. ceremony) - Midland, MI | |
| Dennis Toffolo – Doctor of Business Administration (speaker – 5:30 p.m. ceremony) - Southfield, MI | |
| December | |
| Charles J. Ping – Doctor of Humane Letters (speaker – 10:00 a.m. ceremony) - Athens, OH | |
| Valerie Becker – Doctor of Pedagogy (speaker – 2:00 p.m. ceremony) - Highland Park, MI | |
| 1995 | May |
| Henry Baskin – Doctor of Humanities (speaker – 9:30 a.m. ceremony) - Farmington Hills, MI | |
| Gail L. Warden – Dr./Public Administration (speaker – 1:30 p.m. ceremony) - Detroit, MI | |
| Mr. Barton W. LaBelle – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker – 4:30 p.m. ceremony) - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| December | |
| Fred Mester – Doctor of Laws (speaker – 10:00 a.m. ceremony) - Pontiac, MI | |
| Elmer C. Jackson III – Doctor of Public Service(speaker – 2:00 p.m. ceremony) - Detroit, MI 48202 | |
| 1996 | May |
| Mr. Neal Shine – Doctor of Journalism (speaker – 9:30 a.m. ceremony) - St. Clair Shores, MI | |
| Mr. Floyd Dain – Doctor of Humanities - Fayetteville, NY | |
| Mrs. Margaret Ann Riecker – Doctor of Public Service (speaker – 1:30 p.m. ceremony) - Midland, MI | |
| Martha R. Seger – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker – 4:30 p.m. ceremony) - Birmingham, MI | |
| August | |
| Douglas B. Roberts – Doctor of Public Service (speaker – 10:00 a.m. ceremony) - Lansing, MI | |
| December | |
| George Weeks – Doctor of Letters (speaker – 10:00 a.m. ceremony) - Glen Arbor, MI | |
| Patrick Quinn – Doctor of Public Service (speaker – 2:00 p.m. ceremony) - Grand Rapids, MI | |
| 1997 | May |
| Norman E. Clarke, Jr. – Doctor of Public Service - Beverly Hills, MI | |
| Katherine Ux – Doctor of Fine Arts - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| August | |
| Gordon Guyer – Doctor of Science (10:30 a.m.) - East Lansing, MI 48823 | |
| December | |
| Mr. F. Lee Bailey – Doctor of Laws (9:30 a.m.) - West Palm Beach, FL | |
| Alan F. Quick – Doctor of Education (1:30 p.m.) - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Allison (Sunny) Roller – Doctor of Medical Science (4:30 p.m.) - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| 1998 | May |
| Mr. Charles A. Forbes – Doctor of Public Service (9:30 a.m.) - Detroit, MI 48201 | |
| L. Kimberly Peoples – Doctor of Education (1:30 p.m.) - Detroit, MI (Dr. Peoples was also the 4:30 p.m. speaker) | |
| August | |
| James F. Young – Doctor of Public Service (10:30 a.m.) - Plano, TX | |
| December | |
| Clark Searle – Doctor of Business Administration (9:30 a.m.) - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Lloyd Reuss – Doctor of Engineering (1:30 p.m.) - Detroit, MI | |
| Gary Schnell – Doctor of Science (4:30 p.m.) - Norman, OK | |
| 1999 | May |
| Robert P. Young, Jr. – Doctor of Public Service (9:30 a.m.) - Detroit, MI | |
| No honorary degree awarded at the 1:30 ceremony | |
| Alexa I. Canady – Doctor of Science (4:30 p.m.) - Detroit, MI | |
| August | |
| Emilio Díaz–Colón – Doctor of Public Service (10:30 a.m.) - San Juan, PR 00902–3786 | |
| December | |
| Clara Lee Moodie – Doctor of Education (9:30 a.m.) - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Mrs. Eleanor Josaitis – Doctor of Public Service (1:30 p.m.) - Detroit, MI 48238 | |
| No honorary degree awarded at the 4:30 p.m. ceremony |
2000-2009
| 2000 | May |
| Lynn E. Turner – Doctor of Business Administration (9:30 a.m.) - Washington, D.C. | |
| Dr. Donald Bertsch – Doctor of Public Service (1:30 p.m.) - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Art Van Elslander – Doctor of Public Service (4:30 p.m.) - Warren, MI | |
| Ronald Graham – Doctor of Science (2:00 p.m.) - La Jolla, CA | |
| August | |
| Larry Johns – Doctor of Public Service (10:00 a.m.) - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Raymond Vecci – Doctor of Business Administration (2:00 p.m.) - Detroit, MI | |
| December | |
| Ricardo Solomon – Doctor of Public Service (9:30 a.m.) - Detroit, MI | |
| Jeff Daniels – Doctor of Fine Arts (1:30 p.m.) - Chelsea, MI | |
| John J. H. Schwarz – Doctor of Public Service (4:30 p.m.) - Lansing, MI | |
| 2001 | May |
| Dave Camp – Doctor of Public Service (9:30 a.m.) - Washington, DC | |
| Debbie Stabenow – Doctor of Public Service (1:30 p.m.) - East Lansing, MI | |
| Samuel Logan, Jr. – Doctor of Public Service (4:30 p.m.) - Detroit, MI | |
| Donald J. Breckon – Doctor of Public Service (7:30 p.m.) - Parkville, MO | |
| August | |
| No honorary degree given awarded at 10:00 a.m. | |
| Joseph K. Knollenberg – Doctor of Public Service (2:00 p.m.) - Washington, D.C. | |
| December | |
| Dr. Donald A. Tomalia – Doctor of Science (10:00 a.m.) Mount Pleasant, MI | |
| Mr. Paul Hillegonds – Doctor of Public Service (2:00 p.m.) - Detroit, MI | |
| 2002 | May |
| W. Frank Fountain – Doctor of Public Service (9:30 a.m.) - Auburn Hills, MI | |
| Paul W. Smith – Doctor of Public Service (1:30 p.m.) - Detroit, MI | |
| Timothy R. B. Johnson – Doctor of Science (4:30 p.m.) - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| August | |
| George F. Vande Woude – Doctor of Science (9:30 a.m.) - Grand Rapids, MI | |
| Michael D. Parker – Doctor of Business Administration (1:00 p.m.) - Midland, MI | |
| December | |
| Dr. Donald A. Tomalia – Doctor of Science (10:00 a.m.) - Mount Pleasant, MI | |
| Denise Ilitch – Doctor of Public Service (2:00 p.m.) - Detroit, MI | |
| 2003 | May |
| William L. Johnson – Doctor of Public Service (9:30 a.m. nonspeaker) - Newaygo, MI | |
| John D. Cherry, Jr. – Doctor of Public Service (9:30 a.m.) - Lansing, MI | |
| Judith Ann Rapanos – Doctor of Public Service (1:00 p.m.) - Midland, MI | |
| P. Dee Boersma – Doctor of Science (5:00 p.m.) - Seattle, WA | |
| August | |
| David Broder – Doctor of Humane Letters (10:00 a.m.) - Washington, D.C. | |
| December | |
| Herbert D. (Ted) Doan – Doctor of Commercial Science - Midland, MI | |
| Heath J. Meriwether – Dr. of Journalism (speaker) - Detroit, MI | |
| Dick DeVos – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Grand Rapids, MI | |
| 2004 | May |
| Marilyn French Hubbard – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Detroit, MI | |
| Ella Bully–Cummings – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Detroit, MI | |
| Thomas Celani – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Farmington Hills, MI | |
| August | |
| Stephanie A. Burns – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Midland, MI | |
| Olga Denison – Doctor of Public Service - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| December | |
| Ms. Rebecca A. Humphries – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Lansing, MI | |
| Michael F. O’Donnell – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Dallas, TX | |
| 2005 | May |
| Joseph Bordogna – Doctor of Science (speaker) - Arlington, VA | |
| Debbie Dingell – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Washington, DC | |
| Mr. David A. Brandon – Doctor of Commercial Science - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| August | |
| Dr. Roy F. Giroux – Doctor of Public Service - Mississauga, Ontario (ProfEd ceremony held at Humber College, Toronto, on Oct 22, 2005) | |
| December | |
| Matthew J. Perry, Jr. – Doctor of Laws (speaker) - Columbia, SC | |
| Sue Schrier Bancroft – Doctor of Fine Arts (speaker) - Argyle, TX | |
| David B. Keilitz – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| 2006 | May |
| Cynthia J. Pasky – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Detroit, MI | |
| Anne Stevens – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Dearborn, MI | |
| Andrew Liveris – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Midland, MI | |
| December | |
| Keith Goodwin – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - San Jose, CA | |
| Michael Fezzey – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Detroit, MI | |
| Richard E. Dauch – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Detroit, MI | |
| Kenneth Rogers – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Troy, MI | |
| 2007 | May |
| Jack Krasula – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Southfield, MI | |
| John Grogan – Doctor of Letters (speaker) - Emmaus, PA | |
| Clarence Tuma – Doctor of Public Service - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Florine Mark – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Farmington Hills, MI | |
| Thomas M. Keating – Doctor of Public Service - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| December | |
| Jerry D. Campbell – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Ann Arbor, MI | |
| W. Sidney Smith – Doctor of Commercial Science - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Terri Lynn Land – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Lansing, MI | |
| Joe Dumars III – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Bloomfield Hills, MI | |
| 2008 | May |
| Robert J. Froehlich – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Chicago, IL | |
| James C. Fabiano – Doctor of Commercial Science - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Chuck Leavell – Doctor of Music (speaker) - Dry Branch, GA | |
| David Baker Lewis – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Detroit, MI | |
| Sandra Bell Croll – Doctor of Public Service - Harbor Springs, MI | |
| December | |
| Kathleen Ligocki – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - West Bloomfield, MI | |
| William J. Strickler – Doctor of Commercial Science - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Albert Scaglione – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Southfield, MI | |
| Louise A. Plachta – Doctor of Public Service - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| Meena Mutyala – Doctor of Engineering (speaker) - Pittsburgh, PA | |
| Joseph V. Sowmick – Doctor of Public Service - Mt. Pleasant, MI | |
| 2009 | May |
| David M. Brown – Doctor of Science (speaker) - San Francisco, CA | |
| Michael D. Hayes – Doctor of Commercial Science - Midland, MI | |
| John F. Bonamego – Doctor of Letters (speaker) - Davie, FL | |
| John H. Logie – Doctor of Public Service - Grand Rapids, MI | |
| Warren L. Miller – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) - Washington, DC | |
| JoAnn Hinds – Doctor of Commercial Science - Clinton Township, MI | |
| December | |
| Daniel J. Loepp – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) - Detroit, MI | |
| Mary Kramer – Doctor of Letters (speaker) - Detroit, MI | |
| L. Brooks Patterson, J.D. – Doctor of Humane Letters (speaker) - Waterford, MI |
2010-2019
| 2010 | May |
| Peter J. Engardio – Doctor of Letters (speaker) | |
| December | |
| Nancy M. Schlichting – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) | |
| Brett A. Holey – Doctor of Letters (speaker) | |
| Andrew G. Arena – Doctor of Public Service (Speaker) | |
| 2011 | May |
| William F. Pickard – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Lizabeth Ardisana – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Michael J. Farrell – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Fred H. Bess – Doctor of Audiology (speaker) | |
| December | |
| Mark A. Murray – Doctor of Humane Letters (speaker) | |
| Herbert Woodward Martin – Doctor of Letters (speaker) | |
| 2012 | May |
| Steven Triezenberg – Doctor of Science (4:00 p.m. speaker) | |
| Merrill Lynch – Doctor of Commercial Science (9:00 a.m. speaker) | |
Brian Calley – Doctor of Public Service (1:00 p.m. speaker) | |
| Joseph Wang – Doctor of Science (5:00 p.m. speaker) | |
| December | |
| James Hackett – Doctor of Commercial Science (9:00 a.m. speaker) | |
| Mary Sias – Doctor of Public Service (1:00 p.m. speaker) | |
| Joseph Steinmetz – Doctor of Science (5:00 p.m. speaker) | |
| 2013 | May |
| D. James Baker – Doctor of Science (4:00 p.m. speaker) | |
| Patrick Doyle – Doctor of Commercial Science (9:00 a.m. speaker) | |
| Dr. E Malcolm Field – Doctor of Science (1:00 p.m. speaker) | |
| Rita R. Colwell – Doctor of Science (5:00 p.m. speaker) | |
| December | |
| Joseph B. Anderson Jr. – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Edward K. Christian – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Dr. Jan H. Pol – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) | |
| 2014 | May |
| Robert E. Kohrman – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| W. Curtis White – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Teri Dale Hansen – Doctor of Fine Arts (speaker) | |
| John F. Kany – Doctor Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| December | |
| Roy Stuart Roberts – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Sandra D. Petykiewicz – Doctor of Journalism (speaker) | |
| Nancy C. Tuchman – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| 2015 | May |
| Joseph S. Francisco – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| Melanie Bergeron – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Thomas A. Morgan – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) | |
| December | |
| Enrico Digirolamo – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Shirley Brauker – Doctor of Fine Arts (speaker) | |
| Daniel T. Kildee – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) | |
| 2016 | May |
| David J. Matty – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| Belle S. Wheelan – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) | |
| December | |
| Nick Krzyanick – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Christine Holton Cashen – Doctor of Letters (speaker) | |
| Tonya Matthews – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| 2017 | May |
| Muriel A. Howard – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) | |
| Gail Torreano – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Carter Oosterhouse – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) | |
| Dr. A. Lorris Betz – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| December | |
| Gay L. Ebers Franckowiak – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Frank J. Cloutier – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) | |
| James O. Sawyer IV – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) | |
| 2018 | May |
| Eleanor Baum – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| Terrance J. Coughlin – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Jocelyn Hagerman – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| James K. Kamsickas – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| December | |
| Deirdre Drake – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) | |
| Daniel C. Edson – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| Janice Fialka – Doctor of Letters (speaker) | |
| 2019 | May |
| Joseph Mancewicz – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| Dr. Darrell G. Kirch – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| December | |
| Ann Buller – Doctor of Public Service (speaker) | |
| Luke T. Daum – Doctor of Science (speaker) | |
| William R. Kanine – Doctor of Commercial Science (speaker) |