List of recipients of honorary degrees from Central Connecticut State University

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Central Connecticut State University has awarded 55 honorary doctoral degrees since 1985. [1] Awardees have included the CEOs or Chairmen of seven major corporations, eight heads of state, and a variety of others. About half of these degrees have been awarded at commencement exercises at the university, and in most such cases, the conferee has given the commencement address.

Contents

Although significant non-degree honors have historically been awarded by the institution, honorary doctorates were not conferred until after Central Connecticut State College was renamed Central Connecticut State University in 1983. U.S. President Jimmy Carter became the first recipient on April 16, 1985, [2] receiving a Doctor of Humane Letters.

List of Recipients

awardeedatedegree*
Shigenori AdachiharaMayor, Atsugi City, Japan 05/23/1990L.H.D.
Rt. Rev. Justice Akrofi Bishop of Accra, Ghana05/18/2000L.H.D.
József Antall Jr. Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary 09/30/1991LL.D.
Leszek Balcerowicz Professor, Warsaw School of Economics and former Deputy Prime Minister of Poland 5/21/2011Sc.D.
Ernest L. Boyer President, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching 10/05/1987L.H.D.
J. William BurnsCommissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation 01/03/1995LL.D.
George H. W. Bush a [3] President of the United States 03/11/1999LL.D.
George W. Bush [4] President of the United States04/18/2001LL.D.
Alexander M. Butman Executive director, Emergency Training Institute04/28/1994Sc.D.
Dave CampoHead coach, Dallas Cowboys 05/22/1999D.H.P.Ed.
Jimmy Carter a [5] President of the United States04/16/1985L.H.D.
Noam Chomsky Professor of Linguistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 11/04/2003L.H.D.
Young Seek ChoueChancellor, Kyung Hee University 10/22/1991L.H.D.
Chungwon Choue [6] President, Kyung Hee University 05/23/1998L.H.D.
Mong Koo ChungChairman, Hyundai Precision and Industry Company05/26/1989L.H.D.
Simon A. ClarkeEducation Advisor to UNESCO 05/24/1991L.H.D.
Lemuel Rodney CustisCapitan (Connecticut Tuskegee Airman)05/26/2001L.H.D.
Donald W. DavisChairman, The Stanley Works 05/26/1989L.H.D.
Rainer Dieterich Universität der Bundeswehr, Hamburg05/25/2002Sc.D.
Richard FichmanDeveloper, Quick Sight method of cataract removal12/16/2023L.H.D.
Bruno FiciliCommissioner of Education, Siracusa, Sicily 10/23/1996L.H.D.
Gerald R. Ford aPresident of the United States03/23/1988L.H.D.
Charles T. FoteCEO and chairman, First Data Corp 05/19/2018L.H.D.
Mary Hatwood Futrell President, National Education Association 10/04/1988L.H.D.
Joseph J. Grano Jr. Chairman and CEO, Centurion Holdings, LLC05/19/2007L.H.D.
Harry Jack Gray Chairman and CEO, United Technologies Corporation 05/17/1985D.S.Sc
Edward T. Hall1st Lieutenant (Connecticut Tuskegee Airman)05/26/2001L.H.D.
Merle W. HarrisCCSU Interim President, 1995-1996; Deputy Connecticut Commissioner of Higher Education12/17/2022Ed.L.
E. Dorrit Hoffleit Senior Research Astronomer Emeritus, Yale University 10/20/1998Sc.D.
Benjamin L. Hooks Executive director, NAACP 05/20/1988L.H.D.
C. J. HuangChairman, C. J. Huang Foundation05/10/1990L.H.D.
F. Don JamesCCSU President Emeritus10/16/2003L.H.D.
Eric JensenDeputy to the Under-Secretary-General, United Nations 05/27/1993L.H.D.
Peter G. Kelly Senior Principal, Updike, Kelly & Spellacy02/25/2003LL.D.
Jeane Kirkpatrick a United States Representative to the United Nations 04/04/1991L.H.D.
Henry A. Kissinger a Secretary of State of the United States 03/24/1987D.S.Sc.
Michael S. Knapp [7] President and CEO, CitiFinancial 05/25/2002D.C.Sc.
Phyllis Macpherson-Russell Minister of Education, Jamaica 12/04/1999Sc.D.
Frances P. MainellaDirector, National Park Service 05/23/2002D.P.S.
Paul J. McQuillan [8] , [9] Attorney, Januszewski, McQuillan & DeNigris02/23/2004D.C.J.
George J. Mitchell aU.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader 04/12/2000LL.D.
Brian Mulroney a Prime Minister of Canada 04/26/1994D.S.Sc.
Connie Nappier Jr.Flight Officer (Connecticut Tuskegee Airman)05/26/2001L.H.D.
Antonia Coello Novello [10] Surgeon General of the United States 05/28/1993Sc.D.
Vincent O’LearyPresident, State University of New York at Albany 05/28/1994D.S.Sc.
Rabbi Henry OkolicaCCSU Campus Clergy05/22/2003D.P.S.
Scott Pioliformer assistant general manager, Atlanta Falcons 05/18/2019L.H.D.
Irma Margarita Nevares de Rosselló First Lady of Puerto Rico 05/20/1999L.H.D.
Franz J. RothenbillerLord Mayor of Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany06/06/1991L.H.D.
Helmut Schmidt a Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany 04/28/1993L.H.D.
Angelo Tomasso Jr.Chairman and CEO, Tilcon, Inc05/25/1990L.H.D.
Francis T. Vincent Jr. aCommissioner, Major League Baseball 04/28/1992L.H.D.
Cecile A. WaldenPrincipal, Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, Montego Bay, Jamaica05/27/2004Ped.D.
Lech Wałęsa a President of Poland 04/10/1996L.H.D.
Lowell P. Weicker Jr. US Senator and Governor of Connecticut 05/27/2009D.P.S.
Bertram W. WilsonLieutenant Colonel (Connecticut Tuskegee Airman)05/26/2001L.H.D.
Andrzej WiszniewskiRector, Technical University of Wrocław 05/28/1993Sc.D.
Rt. Rev. Msgr. John Paul WodarskiPastor Emeritus, Holy Cross Church, New Britain 04/29/1999L.H.D.

Notes

† recipient is a CCSU graduate [11]
‡ recipient represented a partner of CCSU's International Affairs Center and Connecticut Institute for Asian and American Studies [12] , [13]
a Honorary degree awarded in connection with recipient's delivery of the Robert C. Vance Distinguished Lecture.
∗ abbreviated degree names:

President's Medal

CCSU presidents have presented other honorary awards such as the President's Medal, "the university's highest non-academic distinction". [14] While there does not appear to be an official, published list of recipients, they include

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References

  1. Central Connecticut State University (May 16, 2012). Commencement exercises: May 2012, p. 43-44.
  2. Carter Gets Honorary Degree (1985, April 17). Philadelphia Daily News, p. 64
  3. Associated Press. (1999, March 12). Protesters disrupt Bush lecture. 'Rochester Sentinel', p. 8. Retrieved on 2012-5-28.
  4. Associated Press. (2001, April 20). Progress being made on education reform. 'Daily Reporter', p. B12. Retrieved on 2012-5-28.
  5. Associated Press (1985, April 17). Carter still pushing for peace and human rights: Gets honorary degree. 'Waycross Journal-Herald', p. P-2. Retrieved on 2012-5-28.
  6. Silverman, Fran. 'Baby sister' at CCSU is center of attention. Hartford Courant, 5/24/1998. Retrieved on 2012-5-22.
  7. Bank leader to speak at CCSU graduation.Hartford Courant, 5/21/2002. Retrieved on 2012-5-22.
  8. Attorney to get honorary doctorate. (2004, February 20). Hartford Courant. p. B2.
  9. McQuillan also served as the personal attorney to CCSU Richard L. Judd (e.g., College President Is Accused of Impersonating a Police Officer. (2002, February 16). New York Times. Retrieved 2012-5-28.) Less than a month after the conferral, Judd resigned after accusations of plagiarism.
  10. Carlson, Meredith.Central honors accident victim. Hartford Courant, 5/29/1993. Retrieved on 2012-5-22.
  11. Paul J. McQuillan attended, but did not graduate from, the institution (see listing [ permanent dead link ]).
  12. Connecticut State University System (1990, February 2).Resolution establishing the International Affairs Center at Central Connecticut State University Archived 2010-06-20 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved on 2012-5-28.
  13. Connecticut State University System (1990, March 30). establishing the Connecticut Institute for Asian and American Studies at Central Connecticut State University [ permanent dead link ]. Retrieved on 2012-5-28.
  14. 1 2 p. B2, Town News Briefing (2002, May 24), Hartford Courant.
  15. p. 11, Central Focus. Summer 2002.
  16. Simpson, Stan. (2004, March 3). An Examination of Academic Ethics. Hartford Courant.
  17. CCSU, Campus news and notes no. 52.