Honorary Degrees

Williams has conferred honorary degrees since 1795. All members of the college community are encouraged to make nominations, from which each year the Honorary Degrees Advisory Committee recommends to the full Board of Trustees a group of potential recipients who have excelled in diverse fields and stand as inspiring examples for our graduating students. Each year one recipient delivers the Commencement address, and one delivers the Baccalaureate address.

We invite your nominations for honorary degree recipients.

First name Last name Degree Year
Debbie Allen DFA 2022
Gregory J. Boyle, S.J. LLD 2022
Biddy Martin LLD 2022
Jon Meacham LITTD 2022
Betty Reid Soskin LLD 2022
No Degrees Granted (Covid-19) 2021
No Degrees Granted (Covid-19) 2020
Roger H. Brown LLD 2019
Ophelia Dahl LLD 2019
Michael R. Eisenson '77 LLD 2019
Mary-Claire King DSC 2019
Kevin Roosevelt Moore DMUS 2019
Mona Hanna-Attisha DSC 2018
John Winslow Irving LITTD 2018
Maud S. Mandel LLD 2018
Janet MurguĂ­a LLD 2018
Christina H. Paxson LLD 2018
Bob Schieffer LLD 2018
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie LITTD 2017
Billy Collins LITTD 2017
William C. Dudley '89 LLD 2017
Gina McCarthy LLD 2017
Gavin A. Schmidt DSC 2017
Sarah Bolton DSC 2016
Eric Carle DFA 2016
Frank Deford LHD 2016
Carrie Hessler-Radelet LLD 2016
David Henry Hwang LHD 2016
Elizabeth Kolbert LHD 2016
Bryan Stevenson LLD 2016
Leehom Wang MUSD 2016
Ursala M. Burns LLD 2015
Gish Jen LHD 2015
Mario J. Molina DSC 2015
Deval L. Patrick LLD 2015
Karen Armstrong DD 2014
Gregory M. Avis LLD 2014
Michael R. Bloomberg LLD 2014
Steven Chu DSC 2014
Vishakha N. Desai LLD 2014
Edward B. Burger LLD 2013
Billie Jean King LLD 2013
Annie Lennox DFA 2013
Deogratias Niyizonkiza LLD 2013
Richard D. Parsons LLD 2013
Nancy A. Roseman LLD 2013
Stacy Schiff '82 LITTD 2013
David Brooks LITTD 2012
Toby Cosgrove DSC 2012
Anna Deavere Smith DFA 2012