La Salle University has celebrated many accomplished professionals, community leaders, elected officials, and Christian Brothers with the conferral of honorary degrees over its 160-year history.
These recognitions—typically awarded at Commencement or during other special events—spotlight people who are exceptional in their respective fields and uphold Lasallian values.
An installment in a monthly series celebrating La Salle University’s rich history and the forthcoming 160th anniversary of its charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Compiled below, with help from University Archives, you can learn more about some of La Salle’s past honorary degree recipients:
1880
The first honorary degrees La Salle awarded were to Maurice F. Egan, an American writer and diplomat, and John H. Grove, M.D.
1935
This year, the first elected official was recognized with former Pennsylvania Gov. George H. Earle, LL.D., D.C.L., receiving a Doctor of Laws degree.
1940
The first woman to receive an honorary degree was Alice O’Halloran, RN.
1948
Brother Athanase Emile, F.S.C., Superior General of the Institute of the Christian Brothers, received an honorary degree.
1953
In the early 1950s, La Salle awarded honorary degrees to business leader Henry Belin du Pont, vice president of du Pont de Nemours and Company.
1958
Senator John F. Kennedy
Before becoming president of the United States, U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy received an honorary degree from La Salle and spoke during the ceremony.
1963
La Salle awarded a variety of honorary degrees this year including to Brother Charles Henry, F.S.C., Assistant Superior General of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
1964
Blake Hayman, ’41, M.D., HON ’64, was recognized. His namesake lives on today as Hayman Hall is named after this alumnus.
1965
The American painter Andrew Wyeth was honored this year.
1967
Edmund Bacon, Philadelphia urban planner and architect, was honored this year. He is also actor Kevin Bacon’s father.
1969
La Salle President Brother Daniel Bernian, F.S.C., was honored at the end of his tenure with an honorary degree.
1977
Following his time as La Salle President, Brother Daniel Burke, F.S.C., Ph.D., received an honorary degree for “the example he has given as a man, a scholar-teacher, and community leader.”
1980
Brother Jose Pablo Basterrechea, F.S.C., Superior General of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, was honored.
1981
Brother Gregory Paul, F.S.C., Ph.D., President emeritus of La Salle College was celebrated.
1982
Charles H. Fuller, Jr., known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning drama A Soldier’s Play, was honored.
1992
Former La Salle President Brother Patrick Ellis, F.S.C., Ph.D., received an honorary degree this year.
1993
Actor Peter Boyle, ’57, known for playing Frank Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond, among other parts in television and film, was recognized.
1997
William J. Burns, ’78, was recognized. He is the current head of the CIA.
1999
Philadelphia Mayor Edward G. Rendell was honored.
2001
Brother Alvaro Rodriguez Echeverria, F.S.C., Superior General of the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools, received an honorary degree—as did William J. “Bill” Raftery, ’63, basketball commentator and analyst, and Gary C. Smith, ’75, Sports Illustrated senior writer, were also recognized.
2004
Brother Armin Altamirano Luistro, F.S.C., the current Superior General of the Christian Brothers, was the president of De La Salle University in Manila at the time he received an honorary degree.
2006
Matthew Quick, ’96, author of The Silver Linings Playbook and other novels, was recognized.
2007
Tom Curley, ’70, was the editor of La Salle’s school newspaper The Collegian while a student and went on to be the president of the Associated Press.
2014
Brother Michael McGinniss, FSC, Ph.D., ’70, received an honorary degree years after his presidency. Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s Hardball, was another honoree this year.
2015
Brother Robert I. Schieler, FSC, Ed.D., ’72, a current Trustee, was serving as the third American Superior General of the Christian Brothers, when he was honored.
2017
Mike Sielski, ’97, a sports columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer, was this year’s honoree.
2018
Marian Wright Edelman was recognized for being the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF). She is the first Black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar and directed the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Miss. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Robert F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award for her writings.
2021
Fran Dunphy, ’70, the current coach of La Salle’s men’s basketball team, spoke to 2020 graduates at Lincoln Financial Field as an honoree. The global pandemic prompted that year’s graduating students to celebrate a year later. Also, that year, Adam Schecter, ’86, a global business leader who became chief executive officer of Labcorp in 2019, and chairman in 2020.
In October, at Honors Convocation, the University awarded an honorary degree to Most Reverend Nelson J. Perez, the Archbishop of Philadelphia.
—Meg Ryan
The post A look back at La Salle’s honorary degree recipients appeared first on La Salle University.
0 Commentaires