| 1913 | Ford Ashman Carpenter, Meteorologist | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1915 | Thomas Newlin, Former President of Whittier College | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1916 | Charles E. Tebbetts, Former President of Whittier College
William P. Trueblood, Vice President and Professor of History and Sociology, Friends University | Doctor of Divinity (D.D.)
Master of Arts (M.A.) |
| 1917 | Gilbert Bowles, Quaker Missionary | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1918 | H. Edwin McGrew, Former President of Penn College
John S. Kimber, Reverend | Doctor of Divinity (D.D.)
Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) |
| 1927 | Willard O. Trueblood, Member of the Religious Society of FRIENDS
William John Cooper, Educator | Doctor of Divinity (D.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1928 | Lou Henry Hoover, Former First Lady of the United States | Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.) |
| 1929 | Francis J. Dell
Vierling Kersey, Former Superintendent of Public Instruction | Doctor of Divinity (D.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1932 | Imelda E. Brooks, Former Director of Broadoaks School | Master of Education (M.Ed.) |
| 1934 | Walter Friar Dexter, Former President of Whittier College | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1937 | Mrs. Alexander R. Kerr | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1938 | Herbert E. Harris, English Professor, and Writer
Gustaf F. Ostrom, Professor of Chemistry | Doctor of Letters (Litt.D)
Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1942 | O. Herschel Folger, Minister | Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1945 | George Reeves, Former President of Chapman University | Doctor of Laws (L.L.D.) |
| 1946 | Jessamyn West McPherson, Author
William O. Mendenhall, Former President of Whittier College | Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.)
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1947 | Harry Noble Wright, Former President of Whittier College | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1948 | Howard L. Hockett, Former Director of the Department of Music at Whittier College
Rufus M. Jones, Writer, and Philosopher | Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) |
| 1950 | Clarence Evan Pickett, Theologian, and Quaker | Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1951 | Henry Joel Cadbury, Biblical Scholar | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1954 | Richard M. Nixon, Former President of the United States | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1956 | LaMotte T. Cohu, Business Executive | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1957 | Preston Hotchkis, Attorney, and Business Executive
Donald Byron Spitler, Reverend
Aubrey Wardman, Business Executive | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1958 | Wofford B. Camp, Agronomist | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1959 | John Stauffer, Business Executive | Doctor of Laws (LL.D) |
| 1960 | Benjamin K. Swartz, Archaeologist, and Educator | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1961 | Joseph Herschel Coffin, Author
Herman H. Henkle
Lewis Elden Smith, Business Executive | Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.)
Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1962 | Arthur Fisher Corey
Joseph Parker Cosand, Jr.
Paul S. Smith, Former President of Whittier College | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1963 | E. Ezra Ellis
Mark O. Hatfield, Politician
Harold Foster Spencer | Doctor of Divinity (D.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1964 | William McCormick Blair, Jr., Former Ambassador
Arthur G. Coons, Former President of Occidental College
Edward J. Guirado, Judge | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1965 | Evangeline Brainard Burgess
Leslie Townes (Bob) Hope, Comedian, and Actor
Warren Barr Knox, Author
Margaret Chase Smith, Politician | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1966 | Chester Earl Holifield, Politician | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1968 | Richard Armour, Poet
Eugene Gonzales, Veteran, and Politician
Leo E. Owens, Publisher | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1969 | Frank Borman, NASA Astronaut, and Aeronautical Engineer
Robert D. Fisher, Wildlife Researcher
Stanley Meyer, Inventor | Doctor of Science (Sc.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1970 | Harold C. Case, Academic Administrator
Raymond Philip Shafer, Attorney, and Politician | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
At the Inaugural Convocation of Dr. Fredrick Moore Binder |
| 1971 | Arnold O. Beckman, Inventor, Chemist, and Philanthropist
Melvin Calvin, Biochemist
Krister Stendahl, Theologian | Doctor of Science (Sc.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1972 | Patricia Reilly Hitt, Former Assistant Secretary of Health, Education, Welfare
Robert M. McAllister, Author
N. Loyall McLaren, Business Executive
Elliot Lee Richardson, Government Official | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Science ((Sc.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1973 | Richard P. Ettinger, Jr., Publisher, and Philanthropist
Allan W. Ostar, Educator, and Activist
W. Clement Stone, Business Executive, and Philanthropist | Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1974 | Jessamyn West McPherson, Author
Donald E. Graham, Publisher, Attorney | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1975 | John Hope Franklin, Historian
Walter Manuel Garcia, Real Estate Executive
Howard Payne House, Otologist | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Science (Sc. D.) |
| 1976 | Thomas Bradley, Former Mayor of Los Angeles, and Politician
William H.D. Hornaday, Reverend | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1977 | Albert R. Behnke, Jr., Physician
Thomas W. Bewley, Attorney
John K. Van de Kamp, Former Los Angeles District Attorney
Beverly M. Stauffer, Philanthropist | Doctor of Science (Sc.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1978 | Jan J. Erteszek, Legal Assistant
Ross McCollum, Attorney
Carl E. Sagan, Astronomer | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Science (Sc. D) |
| 1979 | Ray Douglas Bradbury, Author, and Screenwriter
Henry A. Lacy, Methodist and Educator
John A. Murdy, Jr., Business Executive | Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1980 | Theodor Seuss Geisel, Author
John Houseman, Actor, and Producer | Doctor of Letters (Litt. D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1981 | Julian Nava, Educator
Wallace R. Turner, Former Whittier College Trustee | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1982 | Ernest L. Boyer, Educator
Oscar O. Marshburn, Local Business Executive
Carl L. Randolph. Jr., Business Executive | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1983 | Knud Helm-Erichsen, Business Executive
Charles T. Manatt, Lawyer, and Politician | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1984 | Paul Blair Salmon, Former director of the American Association of School Administrators
Peter Heath Dailey, Former US Ambassador
Richard H. Deihl, Lieutenant, and Business Executive | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) |
| 1985 | Jan de Hartog, Playwright
Klane E. Robison | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) |
| 1986 | Ernest J. Gaines, Author
Robert F. Rockwell, Researcher, and Professor | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1987 | Yuri V. Medvedkov, Professor
Jack Smith, Filmmaker, and Actor
William F. House, Medical Researcher | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1988 | Francis L. Dale, Former US Ambassador
Stuart E. Gothold, Professor
Joseph W. Elder, Scholar
Barry Lopez, Author
R. Chandler Myers, Lawyer | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1989 | Dorothy Wright Nelson, Judge
F. Sherwood Rowland, American Nobel laureate, Professor of Chemistry | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1990 | Morris S. Dees, Jr., Attorney
Benjamin B. Tregoe, Jr., Business Executive | Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) |
| 1991 | Paul C.W. Chu, Physicist
Martin E. Marty, Religious Scholar | Doctor of Science (Sc.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1992 | Donald M. Stewart, Former President of Spelman
Ruth B. Shannon, Philanthropist
Ed L. Shannon, Jr., Business Executive
Tanya Tull, Philanthropist | Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Social Science (Sc.D.) |
| 1993 | Edward James Olmos, Actor, and Producer
Lilian G. Katz, Educator
Gordon Gund, Business Executive | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1994 | Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, Archbishop, and Philanthropist
Rayburn S. Dezember, Business Executive, and Philanthropist | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1995 | Frank O. Gehry, Architect
Clinton O. Harris, Former Whittier College Trustee, and Business Executive
Harry W. Nerhood, Former Professor | Doctor of Humanities
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) |
| 1996 | Dolores Lautrup Ball, Civic Activist
Al Martinez, Writer
Harriet H. Doerr, Author
Judith Malina, Actress, Director, and Writer | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1997 | Robert F. Erburu, Business Executive
Douglas W. Ferguson, Former Professor of Economics
Dorothy Antoinette Handy (Miller), Musician
Tina Howe, Playwright | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1998 | John A. Accardi, Business Executive
Antonia M. Hernandez, Attorney, and Activist
Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Author
Donald E. Wood | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 1999 | Charlotte D. Graham, Philanthropist
Barry Munitz, Business Executive
Anders Uhrskov, Former Director of the Danish Institute for Study Abroad | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2000 | Anthony R. Pierno '54, Attorney
Robert A. Skotheim, Business Executive | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2001 | Michael Weinstein, Business Executive, and Philanthropist
Julia Scofield Russell, Ecofeminist
Esteban E. Torres, Politician | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2002 | Linda & Peter Biehl, Founders of Amy Biehl Foundation
Willard V. Harris, Jr., Business Executive
Norman Y. Mineta, Politician | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2003 | Charles Johnson, Writer, and Philosopher
Rosario Marin, Former U.S. Treasurer
Alice Newsom, Community Leader
Daniel Schorr, Journalist
Lisbeth Schorr, Policy Analyst | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2004 | Simon A. Levin, Ecologist
Rev. Cecil L. "Chip" Murray, Pastor, and Activist
Martin Ortiz '48, Founder of the Center of Mexican American Affairs
B. LaRae Orullian, Business Executive | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2005 | Alfred J. Gobar '53, Economist and Business Executive
Rafer Johnson, Film Actor and Decathlete
Ruben Martinez, Journalist
Gordon Sato, Cell Biologist | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2007 | Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles
Isabel Allende, Writer
William C. Gordon, Author | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2008 | Justice Richard Goldstone, South African Judge
Dr. Michael Shermer, Scientific Writer
Venerable Grand Master Hsing Yun, Buddhist Monk | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2009 | Marian Wright Edelman, Activist
Al Young, Poet
Bharati Mukherjee, Writer | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2010 | Nilo Cruz, Playwright
Luc Montagnier, Virologist
Keith Jackson, Sports Commentator
Tim O'Brien, Novelist
Bill McKibben, Environmentalist | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2011 | Bill Moyers, Journalist, and Politician
Judith Davidson Moyers, Producer | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2012 | David Bohnett, Technology Entrepreneur
Richard Solomon, Politician
Dr. Mario J. Molina, Chemist
Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether, Feminist Theologist
Chauncey Veatch, Professor | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2013 | Sonia Nazario, Journalist | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2014 | Father Gregory Boyle, Priest, and Business Executive
Dr. Maggie Koong, Business Executive
Gloria Molina, Politician
Peter Verbiscar-Brown, Business Executive | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2015 | Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2016 | Maria Contreras-Sweet, Business Executive
James "Mudcat" Grant, Professional Athlete | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2017 | Solomon Trujillo, Technology Executive | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2019 | Maria S. Salinas, Business Executive
Lydia Kennard, Business Executive | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2022 | Jan Gustafson-Corea
California Association for Bilingual Education | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2022 | Shaun Harper
USC Race and Equity Center | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2023 | Erin Aubry Kaplan
Journalist, Educator | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2023 | Arthur Allan-Seidelman
American Director | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
| 2024 | Fred Claire
Acclaimed Major League Baseball Executive Faisal Saeed Al Mutar
Founder of Ideas Beyond Borders | Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) |
