Honorary Degree Recipients

2017	Timothy Egan, Doctor of Humane Letters Writer, Reporter, Columnist Commencement Speaker Fred D. Gray, Doctor of Laws Civil Rights Activist and Attorney Georgiana Kautz, Doctor of Science Natural Resource Manager for the Nisqually Indian Tribe
2016	Derek Kilmer, Doctor of Laws U.S. Representative, Washington's 6th Congressional District Commencement Speaker Carla Santorno, Doctor of Humane Letters Superintendent of the Tacoma Public Schools Jeffrey Brotman, Doctor of Business Chairman of the Board, Costco Wholesale Corporation
2015	Carolyn Hessler-Radelet, Doctor of Humane Letters Director of the Peace Corps Commencement Speaker Theresa Pan Hosley, Doctor of Humane Letters President of the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation Steven C. González, Doctor of Laws Washington Supreme Court Justice
2014	Rachel Martin ’96, Doctor of Humane Letters Host of National Public Radio Weekend Edition Commencement Speaker Amitav Ghosh, Doctor of Humane Letters Writer Mark C. Pigott, Doctor of Fine Arts Business Leader and Philanthropist James L. Walton, Doctor of Laws Civil Rights Activist and past Tacoma City Manager
2013	Philip G. Zimbardo, Ph.D., Doctor of Humane Letters Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Stanford University Commencement Speaker Norman Dicks, Doctor of Laws Former Washington State Representative Debbie Regala ’68, Doctor of Laws Washington State Senator
2012	Jane Lubchenco, Doctor of Science Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Administrator of NOAA Commencement Speaker Ruth Purtilo, Doctor of Humane Letters Professor Emerita in Ethics, MA General Hospital Institute of Health Professions Dennis Flannigan '61, Doctor of Laws Citizen Activist, Former WA State Representative
2011	Cecilia Muñoz, Doctor of Laws Deputy Assistant to the President and White House and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Commencement Speaker Helen Engle, Doctor of Science Co-founder of the Tahoma Audubon Society and Tacoma Mountaineers Thelma Gilmur, Doctor of Science Co-founder of the Tahoma Audubon Society and Tacoma Mountaineers
2010	Scott Jackson '80, Doctor of Humane Letters Vice President, PATH Commencement Speaker Barrie F. Wilcox '62, Doctor of Business Co-owner, Wilcox Farms James T. Wilcox '59, Doctor of Business Co-owner, Wilcox Farms Preston L. Singletary, Doctor of Arts Artist, Sculptor
2009	Philip Mangano, Doctor of Humane Letters Executive Director, Interagency Council on Homelessness Commencement Speaker Japanese American Students of 1941-42, College of Puget Sound, Bachelor of Arts Harold Moss, Doctor of Laws Civil Rights Leader, Former Mayor of Tacoma & Chair of the Pierce County Council
2008	Gifford Pinchot III, Doctor of Laws President, Bainbridge Graduate Institute Commencement Speaker Irshad Manji, Doctor of Humane Letters Author, Scholar Gordon Klatt, Doctor of Humane Letters Founder, Relay for Life, Surgeon
2007	Elizabeth M. Cousens '87, Doctor of International Affairs Vice President of the International Peace Academy in New York Commencement Speaker Sheila Evans Widnall, Doctor of Science Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1993 appointed Secretary of the Air Force. Kathleen Ross, Doctor of Education Current and founding president of Heritage University David L. Nicandri, Doctor of History Director of the Washington Historical Society
2006	William H. Neukom P'94, Doctor of Laws Chair of Preston Gates & Ellis LLP, president-elect nominee of the Am. Bar Assoc., former chief legal counsel for Microsoft Commencement Speaker Wilbur H. Goss '32, P'63, Doctor of Science Scientist & Ret. Dir. of John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Dr. Goss died one week before he was awarded this Honorary Degree. His son, Barry Goss accepted on his behalf. Rosa G. Franklin '68, Doctor of Public Service First African-American woman elected to the WA State Senate William J. Bichsel, S.J., Doctor of Humanitarian Service Catholic priest, social activist
2005	Gary Locke, Doctor of Laws Former governor, State of Washington Commencement Speaker Lyle Quasim '70, Doctor of Humane Letters Public servant, volunteer, and activist Robert E. Craves, Doctor of Humane Letters Washington Education Foundation Steven W. Boutelle, Doctor of Laws General, United States Army
2004	Denis A. Hayes, Doctor of Humane Letters Founded the first Earth Day in 1970, President of the Bullitt Foundation Commencement Speaker Billy Frank, Jr., Doctor of Laws Elder of the Nisqually Indian Tribe, Chairman of the NW Indian Fisheries Commission Ellsworth C. & Nancy Alvord, Doctor of Humanitarian Service Professor emeritus, UW School of Medicine
2003	James Mackenzie Fallows, Doctor of Humane Letters National Correspondent , The Atlantic Monthly Commencement Speaker William Masami Kaneko '83, Doctor of Laws President & CEO, Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs Janet Bogue '75, Doctor of Laws U.S. Foreign Service; speechwriter for Secretary of State
2002	Lee Cullum, Doctor of Humane Letters Author, journalist, columnist; foreign relations Commencement Speaker Ronald Rau '41, Doctor of Humane Letters Physicist Marie Helmer '31, Doctor of Education Teacher for 40 years Sam and Nathalie Brown, Doctors of Humanitarian Service Community volunteers; co-founders/trustees Charles Wright
2001	A. Richard Turner, Doctor of Humanities Paulette Goddard Professor Emeritus of Art and Humanities New York University Freda Amelia Herseth '77, Doctor Humanitarian Service Associate Professor of Voice, University of Michigan William H. Gates, Sr., Doctor of Humanitarian Service Co-Chair and CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
2000	Shashi Tharoor, Doctor of Letters in International Affairs Director of Communication and Special Projects, Office of the UN Secretary-General Commencement Speaker Ramona Bennett, Doctor of Public Affairs Director, Rainbow Youth and Family Services Dennis W. Bakke '68, Doctor of Humanitarian Service Co-founder, President and CEO, The AES Corporation
1999	Roberta A. Katz, Doctor of Laws Senior VP, Secretary, General Counsel of Netscape Communications Corporation Commencement Speaker Robert B. Pamplin, Jr., Doctor of Public Service President, R. B. Pamplin Corporation Lake Oswego, Oregon Ralph W. Franklin '59, Doctor of Humane Letters Director, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University
1998	Franklin D. Raines, Doctor of Laws Director, Office of Management, The White House Former Puget Sound Trustee Commencement Speaker William W. Philip, Doctor of Public Service President and Chief Executive Officer, Columbia Bank, Tacoma, WA Terry J. Castle '75, Doctor of Humane Letters Walter A. Haas Professor in Humanities and Chair of the English Dept., Stanford University
1997	Freeman J. Dyson, Doctor of Humane Letters Professor Emeritus of Physics, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton Commencement Speaker Darryl N. Johnson '72, Doctor of Laws U.S. Ambassador, Director of the American Institute in Taiwan Mutsuko Miki, Doctor of Arts Wife of the late Takeo Miki, Prime Minister of Japan United Nations Woman Association
1996	William B. Blakemore, Doctor of Humane Letters ABC News Correspondent Commencement Speaker Daniel J. Evans, Doctor of Liberal Arts Former Washington Governor, Evergreen State College President, and U.S. Senator Ahmad Rashad, Doctor of Journalism Former Minnesota Viking football player, NBC Sports Broadcast Journalist Bishop Calvin D. McConnell, Doctor of Laws Resident Bishop, Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church Judith Hagerty Arron, Doctor of Music Executive Director and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
1995	Leon E. Panetta, Doctor of Humane Letters White House Chief of Staff Commencement Speaker Frank H. Russell, Doctor of Humanitarian Service President/CEO, Professional Services Unified, Inc. Guzver Yildiran '69, Doctor of Philosophy Professor and Chair, Dept.of Educational Business, Bogazici University in Istanbul
1994	Stanley N. Katz, Doctor of Humane Letters President, American Council of Learned Societies Commencement Speaker Elbert W. Baker, Doctor of Public Service Publisher Emeritus, The News Tribune
1993	Charles W. Johnson, '76 J.D., Doctor of Laws Justice of the Washington Supreme Court Commencement Speaker Karen Brazell, Doctor of Literature Professor of Japanese Literature and Theatre, Cornell University Commencement Speaker Robert and Genevieve Trimble '37, Doctors of Philosophy Philanthropists Cecilia Svinth Carpenter, Doctor of Humane Letters Northwest writer, historian, and cultural preservationist
1992	Dr. William J. Campbell, Doctor of Science Chief of the Ice and Climate Project, U.S. Geological Survey at UPS Commencement Speaker Ruth M. Adams, Doctor of Liberal Arts President Emerita of Wellesley College Speight Jenkins, Doctor of Music General Director of the Seattle Opera Gwen Phibbs, Doctor of Humane Letters Wife of President Emeritus Phibbs
1991	Betty Jeanne Hash, Doctor of Humanitarian Service Former Director, Pierce County United Way Volunteer Center Gerard Schwarz, Doctor of Music Seattle Symphony Music Director J.R. Simplot, Doctor of Science in Commerce Founder/Chairman J.R. Simplot Co., Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Administrator of NOAA