The music producer has several honorary degrees, including one from Harvard University, Princeton University and the New England Conservatory. Jones received his degree from Harvard in 1990.
Source: Harvard.edu
In 2013, the media mogul gave a commencement speech to the graduating class of Harvard, but she received something that day too: a degree! Oprah got teary eyed when she held her new law degree. She was only notified that she’d be getting the degree hours before giving her speech.
Source: Dailymail.co.uk
In 1998, the former president of South Africa was only the third person in history to receive an honorary degree from Harvard conferred outside a graduation event. Mandela followed Winston Churchill (1943) and George Washington (1776) in receiving this honor.
Source: TheCrimson.com
Franklin’s music is inspiring enough to push Harvard law students through long nights of studies, and to earn her an honorary degree from the school. Just this year, the queen of soul played the piano while singing the “Star Spangled Banner” to the graduating Harvard class, and was given her own degree.
Source: Billboard.com
The “Beloved” author has received an honorary degree from Harvard, as well as from University of Pennsylvania, Sarah Lawrence, Dartmouth, Yale, Georgetown, Columbia, Brown and more.
Source: Randomhouse.com
Hopkins is the vice president and director of health programs at The Carter Center, a non-profit organization that works to advance human rights. Hopkins actually earned his master’s degree in public health from Harvard in 1970, but came back in 2013 to receive an additional honorary degree.
Source: Harvardmagazine.com
The jazz musician was part of a lineup of high profile attendees who received honorary degrees at Harvard University’s 2009 commencement. Other honorees included author Joan Didion and political scientist Sidney Verba. Marsalis received a doctor of music from the university.
Source: Harvard.edu
Adviser to presidents of the United States and major educator in the African American community, Washington was the first black to receive an honorary degree from Harvard University in 1896.
Source: Encyclopediavirginia.org
King is a professor of law, medicine, ethics and public policy at Georgetown University Law Center. King attended Harvard Law School in 1966 when the student body was mostly white males. In 2014, King returned to receive an additional honorary degree.
Source: Harvard.edu
The Queen of Jazz received an honorary doctorate of music from Harvard University in 1990. Fitzgerald gained a lot of academia-related recognition during her career, including the Magnum Opus Award from the University of Southern California and the George and Ira Gershwin Award for lifetime musical achievement at the University of California Los Angeles Spring Sing.
Source: MyBeat.fm
