Since 1896, the University has conferred more than 300 honorary degrees. Recipients have come from virtually every walk of life – professors, poets, cops, kings, journalists, judges, bishops, and politicians. Included among them are Presidents Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and Lyndon Johnson; Rev. Mother (now Saint) Katharine Drexel, Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, Mother (now Saint) Teresa, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, and Cardinals Francis Spellman, Stephen Wyszynski, George Basil Hume, and John O'Connor. Also, theologian Rev. Hans Urs Von Balthasar, philosopher Josef Pieper, singer Marian Anderson, composer Aaron Copland, actress Helen Hayes, announcer Ed McMahon, athlete Roger Staubach, comedian Bob Newhart, and journalists Tim Russert and Wolf Blitzer.
All have made contributions to the Church and/or society that earned them this special recognition. Most of the honorary degrees have been conferred at Commencement; some have been given on other special occasions.
2025 Honorary Degrees
- Bishop Robert Barron – Alumnus, bishop of Winona-Rochester, founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, and acclaimed author.
- Archbishop Vicken Aykazian – Diocesan legate and ecumenical director for the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America who has served as president of the National Council of Churches, advocated for Christian minorities in the Middle East, and championed ecumenical dialogue for decades.
- Monsignor John Enzler – Former president of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington and founder of multiple outreach programs, including Potomac Community Resources and the Shepherd Foundation, known for his motto "say yes" to anyone in need.
- Jeanne Mancini – Former president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund who has expanded the organization's advocacy beyond the national march to include state-level initiatives and programs promoting the dignity of human life at all stages.
- Steven Muncy, DrPH – Alumnus and founder of Community and Family Services International and 2021 Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient who has dedicated over four decades to supporting refugees and displaced persons across Southeast Asia.
- U.S. Representative Christopher Smith – The longest-serving member of New Jersey's congressional delegation, a committed and passionate advocate for the unborn, also known for authoring significant human rights legislation, including the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000.
View List of Past Honorary Degrees Conferred
