The tradition of awarding honorary degrees at Yale began in 1702. Honorary degrees are the most significant recognition conferred by the Yale Corporation, the university’s board of trustees, to signal pioneering achievement in a field or conspicuous and exemplary contribution to the common good. Honorary degree recipients serve as examples to the graduates, encouraging them to aspire to excellence and to value those elements of human character that they embody: creativity, curiosity, discipline, integrity, and a passion for public service. Those who receive honorary degrees represent collectively the aspirations of the institution.
