Clarkson University awarded its first Honorary Degrees in 1931. Past recipients have included a wide variety of distinguished individuals whose calling has ranged from President of the United States (Hon. Herbert C. Hoover, 1945) to Apollo Astronaut (Colonel Frank Borman, 1973), and from Inventor/Entrepreneur (Frank J. Zamboni, 1988) to Medal of Honor Recipient (General James H. Doolittle, 1946).
Some recent recipients of Clarkson Honorary Degrees have included:
Alexandra Cousteau is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, filmmaker and globally recognized advocate on water issues. Alexandra is dedicated to advocating the importance of conservation and sustainable management of water in order to preserve a healthy planet. Her global initiatives seek to inspire and empower individuals to protect not only the ocean and its inhabitants, but also the human communities that rely on freshwater resources. Sc. D. 2018
Jeffery Immelt was chairman and CEO of General Electric from 2001 until 2017. During his leadership tenure at GE, Immelt transitioned the 125-year-old global corporation into a world premiere digital industrial company. He has been named one of the "World's Best CEOs" three times by Barron's. According to Jack Brennan, lead independent director for GE's board "Jeff has positioned the company incredibly well for the future. He executed a massive portfolio transformation and navigated the company through economic cycles and business disruptions. Today, GE is a high-tech industrial company with a bright future." Sc. D. 2017
Karl Marlantes is the author of the New York Times Bestselling novel Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, which has won numerous prizes. He is a highly-educated and heroic Marine veteran who has parlayed his experiences into an astounding writing career. He has used this hard-won wisdom to help himself and others deal with the pain of war and the factors that drive aggression in our world today. In mitigating those issues, he connects us to our value of service by offering his time and skills for the good of fellow citizens. Sc. D. 2016
Steven Chu is the former U.S. Secretary of Energy, a Nobel Laureate and the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Physics and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University. His honorary doctor of science degree was awarded for "his dedication to science and championing scientific inquiry; for his service to the betterment of this nation; for pioneering innovation in the search for sustainable forms of energy; for his commitment to collaboration and his leadership in exploring new solutions to the challenge of our changing climate; for his continuing work educating future generations and for inspiring the leaders of tomorrow to serve humanity and the ecology on which we depend." Sc. D. 2014
Full list of Past Awardees