Millionaire self-help author W. Clement Stone signs a copy of his book for a graduate at the 1963 Commencement.
When Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham is conferred an honorary doctor of humane letters degree at Monmouth College’s 159th Commencement Exercises on Sunday, he will join a long line of distinguished–and sometimes surprising–campus guests to be so honored.
Meacham follows in the footsteps of another distinguished historian/biographer, Henry Steele Commager, who received an honorary doctor of letters degree from Monmouth in 1959, That year was also notable in that Monmouth also conferred its first degree to an actress, Agnes Moorehead–just prior to her gaining popular fame as Endora on Bewitched.
Another actress would be granted a degree in 1988–this time a Monmouth alumna. Daytime Emmy Award winner Helen Wagner Willey ’38, who would become the longest-tenured character on a daytime drama in her role as Nancy Hughes on As The World Turns, was presented with an honorary doctor of humane letters.
From 1861, when the first honorary degree was awarded, to the present, the notability of the recipients has steadily increased. Not surprisingly, given that the college was originally governed by the United Presbyterian Synod of Illinois, 42 of the first 50 degrees conferred were doctors of divinity–mostly to ministers.
Perhaps most notable on Monmouth’s list of honorary degree holders is President George H.W. Bush, who delivered the commencement address in 2000. It was the first time that members of the robed processional party included Secret Service agents.
Today, politicians are among the most popular commencement speakers nationwide, and Monmouth College made its first foray into the political sphere in 1940 by presenting an honorary degree to Gov. Charles Sprague of Oregon (he was, by the way, a 1910 Monmouth graduate). Four additional governors–Mark Hatfield of Oregon, Jim Thompson and Jim Edgar, both of Illinois, and former Gov. Bob Graham of Florida–would be added to the honorary degree recipient list in 1966, 1981, 1994 and 2013.
Working its way up the political ranks, Monmouth awarded degrees to a seated senator, Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) and a former senator, Bob Graham (D-Fla.) in 1999 and 2013, respectively. Cabinet members honored include Transportation secretary Ray LaHood and Commerce secretary W. Willard Wirtz.
Newsmen Robert MacNeil and Howard K. Smith gave the commencement addresses in 1977 and 1979, respectively, but perhaps reporters were held in lower regard in those days, as neither received an honorary degree. Attitudes had changed by 2006, however, as NBC News Middle East correspondent Martin Fletcher was honored with a degree.
Commencement speakers are expected to deliver inspirational messages, and in 1963 millionaire businessman and self-help author W. Clement Stone also delivered copies of his book, The Success System That Never Fails, to members of the graduating class. Cynics charged that he was honored with a degree in hopes of a major gift to the college, but no check ever arrived.
Cynics were in force the previous year, too, when Cardinals slugger Stan Musial was granted an honorary degree. While some critics, such as San Francisco Chronicle columnist Charles McCabe, called it a publicity stunt, Musial was honored for his extensive philanthropic work in the St. Louis community and was a gracious, grateful recipient of the degree.
One recipient whose qualifications no one doubted was the visionary architect and inventor R. Buckminster Fuller. Although not a commencement speaker, he was a highlight of the annual Liberal Arts Festival in the spring of 1965.
Long known for its robust business program, Monmouth has awarded honorary degrees to multiple Fortune 500 CEOs, including alumni Harold Poling ’49 of Ford Motor Co. and James Pate of Pennzoil. Former Monmouth chairman of the board Lee L. Morgan, the CEO of Caterpillar, Inc., received an honorary degree in 1974.
Getting the third degree is usually considered undesirable, but it wasn’t for 1877 Monmouth graduate Alice Winbigler, when she was presented with the third honorary degree of her distinguished career upon her retirement in 1937. A longtime professor and dean at Monmouth, she shared the spotlight that year with Dan Everett Waid, from the class of 1887, a noted architect and college trustee, who received his second honorary degree from Monmouth.
Honorary degrees have also been awarded after retirement to recognize Monmouth presidents for their service. Presidents honored include Thomas H. McMichael (1936), Robert Gibson (1964), Duncan Wimpress (1970), DeBow Freed (1987), and Richard Giese (2005).
