When Dr. David Jolliffe, Bethany Class of 1974, received the honorary Doctor of Letters degree recently during this year’s Founder’s Day, he joined a long and distinguished tradition of higher education honoring individuals of distinction, accomplishment, celebrity, or meritorious service.
It is a way for institutions publicly to recognize individuals’ outstanding contributions and to celebrate such achievements for the greater good and inspiration of the college or university and its audience. Recipients may have a close and special relationship with the institution, such as a revered faculty member, member of the alumni association, or trustee, or they may have achieved distinction apart from the life of the campus.
The two occasions when Bethany College confers honorary degrees may be Founder’s Day and Commencement. Not every such ceremony requires an honorary degree to be awarded, but the featured speakers or guests for those occasions frequently are so honored, the highlights of their lives and careers read aloud as the candidates await the placement of an elegant hood upon their person and the receipt of a framed citation proclaiming the conferring of their degree.
The list of Bethany College recipients of honorary degrees is long and impressive, dating back to the 19th century. The names include familiar Bethany personalities such as Pearl Mahaffey (Doctor of Letters, 1946), Oreon E. Scott (Doctor of Laws, 1949), Thomas Buergenthal (Doctor of Laws, 1981), Robert L. Martin (Doctor of Humanities, 1990), and Darline Nicholson (Doctor of Humanities, 2000). Among the celebrities or other famous individuals who have been honored are Richard Nixon (Doctor of Laws, 1957), Lyndon Johnson (Doctor of Laws, 1959), and Gerald Ford (Doctor of Laws, 1982), Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Rogers (Doctor of Humanities, 1961), Milton Friedman (Doctor of Letters, 1971), Tom Poston (Doctor of Letters, 1990), Allan “Bud” Selig (Doctor of Humane Letters, 2008), and Richard L. “Dick” Thornburgh (Doctor of Laws, 2008).
Honorary degrees carry no official duties nor do they recognize specific academic achievements, yet they are among the grand and symbolic traditions that define higher education.
And, yes, they do henceforth confer the title of “Doctor.”
