Wofford founded 1854

Home > Faculty / Staff

Honorary Degree Recipients 

Wofford College has a long history of awarding honorary degrees to recipients deemed worthy by the nominating committee. The awards are approved and offered by the faculty and the Board of Trustees. 

To nominate an individual to receive an honorary degree please complete the Honorary Degree Nomination Form.

Key for Degrees Awarded:
D. D. = Doctor of Divinity
LL.D. = Doctor of Laws
Litt. D. = Doctor of Letters
L.H.D. = Doctor of Humane Letters
Sc.D. = Doctor of Science
D. Hum = Doctor of Humanities

Year  Name  Occupation  Degree 
1866 Rev. W. H. Anderson Kentucky Conference D.D.
  Rev. James A. Duncan Virginia Conference D.D.
1867 Rev. S. S. Roszell Baltimore Conference D.D.
  Rev A. A. Porter Presbyterian Church D.D.
1869 Rev. A. A. Morrison Louisville Conference D.D.
1871 Rev. W. A. Finley Corvallis College, Oregon D.D.
1874 Rev. W. H. Potter North Carolina Conference D.D.
  Rev. S. B. Jones South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Rev. J. S. Kennedy Holston Conference D.D.
1876 Warren DuPre President of Martha Washington College, Abingdon, Virginia LL.D.
1878 Prof. W. M. Baskervill Professor in Wofford College M.A.
1880 Rev. F. X. Forster Central College, Missouri D.D.
1890 Rev. A. M. Chreitzberg South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Rev. R. D. Smart South Carolina Conference D.D.
1892 Rev. John C. Kilgo Professor in Wofford College M.A.
1894 Rev. George W. Yarborough North Georgia Conference D.D.
  Hon. Samuel Dibble Orangeburg, S.C. LL.D.
  Rev. J. C. C. Newton China D.D.
  Rev. G. W. Walker President of Paine Institute, Augusta, Georgia D.D.
1895 Rev. John C. Kilgo President of Trinity College, North Carolina D.D.
  Rev. R. J. Bigham North Georgia Conference D.D.
1896 Hon. G. D. Shands University of Mississippi LL.D.
1896 Rev. J. O. Willson South Carolina Conference D.D.
1897 Rev. W. B. Murrah President of Millsaps College, Mississippi LL.D.
1902 Rev. B. F. Wilson President of Converse College, South Carolina D.D.
1903 Associate Justice Charles A. Wood South Carolina Supreme Court LL.D.
  Rev. J. M. Lander President of Granbery College, Brazil D.D.
1904 Benjamin J. Sloan President of University of South Carolina LL.D.
  Rev. J. W. Wolling Missionary to Brazil D.D.
1910 Prof. Charles Forster Smith University of Wisconsin LL.D.
1911 Prof. William P. Few President of Trinity College, Durham, North Carolina LL.D.
  William A. Webb President of Central College, Missouri Litt.D.
  Rev. R. E. Stackhouse South Carolina Conference D.D.
1915 Prof. Albert Shipp Pegues University of Texas Litt.D.
  D. Wistar Daniel Clemson College Litt.D.
  Rev. W. C. Kirkland South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Rev. R. S. Truesdale South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Rev. Edward K. Hardin Baltimore Conference D.D.
  Thomas M. Raysor Orangeburg, South Carolina LL.D.
1916 James Perrin Smith Leland Stanford University, California LL.D.
  Prof. S. H. Edmunds Sumter City Schools, South Carolina Litt.D.
1917 Prof. W. W. Wannamaker Duke University, North Carolina Litt.D.
1917 Rev. Charles C. Jarrell Emory University, Georgia D.D.
1921 Rev. D. E. Camak Upper South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Rev. A. N. Brunson Upper South Carolina Conference D.D
  Rev. W. B. Campbell President of Kentucky Wesleyan College D.D.
1924 Rev. B. Rhett Turnipseed Upper South Carolina Conference D.D.
1926 Gov. Thomas Gordon McLeod Governor of South Carolina LL.D.
  Prof. W. Laurens Walker Superintendent, State School for Deaf and Blind, South Carolina LL.D.
  Prof. N. Gist Gee Lander College, South Carolina LL.D.
1927 Rev. Claude L. Smith Brazil Conference D.D.
1931 Rev. R. O. Lawton Lander College and Upper South Carolina Conference Litt.D.
  Rev. Peter Stokes South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Rev. C. C. Herbert South Carolina Conference D.D.
1933 Julius A. Mood Sumter, South Carolina LL.D.
  United States Senator Ellison Durant Smith Florence County, South Carolina LL.D.
  Nathan M. Salley   Litt.D.
  H. M. Stackhouse Who might have graduated in 1863 but for war. A.B.
1934 L. L. Dantzler   Litt.D.
  Judge J. G. Stabler South Carolina Supreme Court LL.D.
  Prof. T. C. Easterling Superintendent, Marion City Schools, South Carolina LL.D.
  President B. E. Geer Furman University LL.D.
  Rev. T. Grigsby Herbert South Carolina Conference D.D.
1936 Bishop Paul B. Kern Methodist Episcopal Church South LL.D.
  President John W. Speake President of Lander College, South Carolina D.D.
  Dr. P. M. Hamer University of Tennessee Litt.D.
1937 Prof. Joseph Augustus Gamewell Wofford College LL.D.
  Dean D. D. Peele Columbia College, South Carolina LL.D.
  Rev. J. Emerson Ford South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Rev. W. L. Mullikin Upper South Carolina Conference D.D.
1938 Prof. W. D. Roberts Superintendent of Epworth Orphanage LL.D.
  Prof. R. L. Meriwether University of South Carolina Litt.D.
1940 Rev. J. Marvin Rast President of Lander College, South Carolina D.D.
1941 Prof. Louis B. Wright Research Professor, Huntington Library, San Marino, California Litt.D.
  Prof. J. M. Steadman Emory University, Georgia Litt.D.
1946 Prof. James Milton Ariail Columbia College, South Carolina Litt.D.
  Rev. H. L. F. Shuler South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Rev. W. B. Garrett Upper South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Bishop Cyrus B. Dawsey Brazil Conference D.D.
1947 Rev. John Owen Smith Upper South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Miss Wil Lou Gray South Carolina Department of Education LL.D.
1948 Rev. R. Bryce Herbert South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Rev. Fritz C. Beach Upper South Carolina Conference D.D.
1949 Howard Bobo Carlisle Spartanburg, South Carolina LL.D.
1949 Rev. Wallace Duncan Gleaton South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Rev. J. R. T. Major South Carolina Conference D.D.
  Dr. Robert Adger Law University of Texas Litt.D.
  Samuel Lander Prince Dean of Law School, University of South Carolina LL.D.
1950 Justice James F. Byrnes Statesman LL.D.
  W. Laurens Walker Superintendent, South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind LL.D.
  Rev. Paul Hardin, Jr. Pastor, First Methodist Church, Birmingham, Alabama D.D.
  E. W. Rushton Superintendent of City Schools Orangeburg, South Carolina Litt.D.
1951 Dr. James A. McCain President of Kansas State College, Manhattan, Kansas LL.D.
1952 Donald S. Russell President of University of South Carolina LL.D.
  John M. Reeves Industrialist LL.D.
  Dr. Walter Clyde Curry Professor, Vanderbilt University Litt.D.
  Dr. Albert Outler Professor, Southern Methodist University D.D.
  Robert Wright Spears President of Columbia College D.D.
  Arcadius M. Trawick Retired Professor, Wofford College; Teacher, Spartanburg Junior College D.D.
1953 John Laney Plyler President of Furman University LL.D.
  Melvin Kelly Medlock District Superintendent for Columbia District D.D.
  Clarence Clifford Norton Dean, Wofford College LL.D.
1953 Pierce Embree Cook Pastor, St. Johns Methodist Church, Rock Hill, South Carolina D.D.
Presented at Wofford's Centennial Convocation May 1, 1954  
1954 Bishop Costen J. Harrell Resident Bishop of the Charlotte area of the Methodist Church LL.D.
  Dr. John Olin Eidson Director of the University Center of the University of Georgia Litt.D.
  Rev. H. Lester Kingman Pastor of Shandon Methodist Church, Columbia, South Carolina D.D.
  Dr. Theodore Jack President Emeritus of Randolph-Macon Woman's College Litt.D.
  Dr. Virgil M. Rogers Dean of the School of Education of Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York LL.D.
  Samuel H. Swint President of the Graniteville Company in Graniteville, South Carolina LL.D.
Presented Commencement June 7, 1954
1954 Rev. J. Carlisle Smiley District Supt. of the Rock Hill District, South Carolina Annual Conference, The Methodist Church D.D.
  Dr. John Lee Hydrick Medical Doctor and Authority in public health and tropical diseases, resides in Phoenix, Arizona LL.D.
  Dr. William Stanley Hoole Director of the University Libraries, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama Litt.D.
  Rev. James George Huggin, Jr. Minister of First Methodist Church, Shelby, North Carolina D.D.
1955 Rev. Adlai C. Holler Pastor, St. George Methodist Church, St. George, South Carolina D.D.
  Dr. Harold H. Hutson President, Greensboro College, Greensboro, North Carolina LL.D.
1956 Dr. J. Mauldin Lesesne President of Erskine College LL.D.
  James A. Chapman President of Inman-Riverdale Mills LL.D.
  Rev. Francis Thornton Cunningham Pastor, St. John's Methodist Church, Rock Hill, South Carolina D.D.
1957 Rev. Abel Francis Ragan Superintendent, Marion District, Marion, South Carolina D.D.
  Rev. J. Claude Evans Editor, South Carolina Methodist Advocate D.D.
  Edwin L. Jones President of J. A Jones Construction Company, Charlotte, North Carolina LL.D.
  J. Carlisle Holler Director of the Division of Instruction of the State Department of Education, Columbia, South Carolina LL.D.
  Monie S. Hudson Chemist, Spartanburg, South Carolina Sc.D.
1958 Dr. Elford C. Morgan Dean, Converse College Spartanburg, South Carolina Lit. D.
  Rev. Allen Russell Broome Superintendent, Epworth Children's Home, Columbia, South Carolina D.D.
1959 Rev. George F. Duffie Superintendent, Charleston District of the Methodist Church D.D.
  Dr. Dayton E. McClain Methodist minister and retired vice president of the American University D.D.
  Philip S. Covington Dean of Wofford College Lit. D.
  Dwight F. Patterson President of Palmetto Bank, Laurens, South Carolina LL.D.
  Dr. Eugene P. Pendergrass Radiologist, physician Sc.D.
1960 Rev. John Madison Younginer, Sr. Pastor, Shandon Methodist Church, Columbia, South Carolina D.D.
1960 Rev. Feltham Syreen James   D.D.
  Dr. Robert Cook Edwards President Clemson College LL.D.
  Thomas Grady Schuler Dean, Columbia College Litt.D.
1961 Dr. W. Emory Burnett Temple University School of Medicine Sc.D.
  Bishop Nolan Bailey Harmon Bishop, Charlotte District LL.D.
  Arthur B. Rivers Director, South Carolina Department of Public Welfare D.Hu.L
1962 Charles C. Parlin Lawyer and American President of the World Council of Churches, Englewood, New Jersey LL.D.
  Guy L. Varn Educator, Superintendent of Columbia City Schools, Columbia, South Carolina L.L.D.
  John E. Wannamaker St. Matthews, South Carolina - farmer on extensive scale, has pioneered many improvements of farming (soybean) Sc.D.
1962-63 Prof. W. C. Herbert Retired Professor, Spartanburg Lit.D.
  Dr. Austin T. Moore Orthopedic Surgeon, Columbia, South Carolina Sc.D.
  Rev. Toy F. Reid Methodist Minister, Lake City D.D.
1963-64 Senator Olin Dewitt Johnston United States Senator, Washington LL.D.
  Rev. Theodore E. Jones Minister, St. Paul's Methodist Church, Orangeburg, South Carolina D.D.
  Rev. George W. Whitaker, Jr. Minister, Trenholm Road Methodist Church, Columbia, South Carolina D.D.
1964-65 Rev. Ralph A Cannon Minister, Hibben Methodist Church, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina D.D.
1964-65 Rev. Graham S. Eubank Minister St. Paul Methodist Church, Goldsboro, North Carolina D.D.
  William L. Gray, Jr. Attorney; Miami, Florida LL.D.
1965-66 Floyd I. Brownley, Jr. Dean of Graduate School, Clemson University Sc.D.
  W. J. Bryan Crenshaw Minister, Central Methodist Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina D.D.
  C. LeGrande Moody Minister, Washington Street Methodist Church, Columbia, South Carolina D.D.
  Carlos DuPre Moseley Musician, President of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra D.Hu.L.
1966-67 A. McKay Brabham, Jr. Editor, South Carolina Methodist Advocate D.D.
  Francis L. Garrett Chaplain, United States Navy D.D.
  Roger Milliken President of Deering-Milliken, Spartanburg, South Carolina LL.D.
  A. M. Moseley South Carolina Department of Education D.Hu.L.
1967-68 Samuel M. Atkinson, Sr. Methodist Minister D.D.
  James H. Crawford Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Sc.D.
  C. Bruce Littlejohn Attorney (Judge) Spartanburg, South Carolina LL.D.
1968-69 James S. Barrett President of Spartanburg Junior College, Spartanburg, South Carolina D.D.
  Henry Janiec Dean of Music, Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina L.H.D.
  William H. Lancaster Minister, First Baptist Church of Decatur, Georgia D.D.
  Robert O. Lawton, Jr. Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University L.H.D.
1969-70 Cyril B. Busbee South Carolina Superintendent of Education, Columbia, South Carolina LL.D.
  E. Wannamaker Hardin Minister, St. John's Church, Rock Hill, South Carolina D.D.
  William B. Kennedy Minister, Professor, Union Theological, Richmond, Virginia Lit.D.
  Eben Taylor Minister, Cherokee Place United Methodist Church, Charleston Heights, South Carolina D.D.
1970-71 William Harry Chandler Minister, St. John's Methodist Church, Rock Hill, South Carolina D.D.
  Neville Holcombe Attorney, Spartanburg, South Carolina LL.D.
  John V. Murray Minister, Professor, Spartanburg, South Carolina D.D.
  Gene P. Rutledge Executive Director, State of Iowa Office of Nuclear Energy Development Sc.D.
1971-72 Claude R. Harper Minister, Trenholm Road United Methodist Church, Columbia, South Carolina D.D.
  George B. Hartzog, Jr. Director, National Parks Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. LL.D.
  James S. Thomas Bishop, United Methodist Church, Iowa Area D.D.
  Pedro N. Trakas Professor, Division of Modern Language, Florida Presbyterian College, St. Petersburg, Florida Litt.D.
1972-73 Ralph A. Durham Deputy Superintendent, South Carolina Department of Education, Columbia, South Carolina LL.D.
  Carl J. Sanders Bishop, United Methodist Church, Birmingham Area D.D
1972-73 John W. Simpson President of Power Systems Division, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania Sc.D.
  Herbert L. Spell Minister, United Methodist Church, Wofford Board of Trustees (Retired) D.D.
1973-74 Robert Carl Griffith Minister (Retired) United Methodist Church D.D.
  Orville Stanley Smith Businessman LL.D.
1974-75 James F. M. Hoffmeyer Minister (Retired) United Methodist Church D.D.
  Chauncey W. Lever Banker LL.D.
  R. Alex McCullough Banker LL.D.
  I. DeQuincey Newman Minister, United Methodist Church D.D.
1975-76 James A. Chapman Businessman (Textiles) LL.D.
  Peggy T. Gignilliat Teacher (music) D.Hum
  Larry A. Jackson College President Litt.D.
  Edward L. Tullis Bishop, United Methodist Church of South Carolina D.D.
1976-77 Michael Benjamin Hudnall Minister, District Superintendent of United Methodist Church, Florence District D.D.
  Paul W. McAlister Lawyer, Senior Partner in McAlister, Compton & McAlister LL.D.
  Howard G. McClain Executive Director of the Christian Action Council in South Carolina D.Hum
1977-78 Ernest Burwell President of Burwell Chevrolet Company, Spartanburg, South Carolina D.Hum
  George DeWitt Fields, Jr. President of Spartanburg Methodist College D.D.
1977-78 James Woodrow Lewis Chief Justice, South Carolina Supreme Court LL.D.
  Walter S. Montgomery, Sr. Chairman of the Board, Spartan Mills D.Hum
1978-79 Marshall LeRoy Meadors, Jr. Pastor, St. John's United Methodist Church, Anderson, South Carolina D.D.
  Richard Karl Webel Landscape Architect - The Studio, Greenvale, New York D.A.
  John Anthony White Physician, Easley, South Carolina, Member and Chairman of Wofford College Board of Trustees D.Sc.
1979-80 Charles Jackson Bradshaw Businessman (Spartan Foods) D.Hum.
  Clinton Jones Lupo, Jr. Methodist Minister D.D.
  Harold McCallum McLeod Retired Director, I.R.S. D.Hum.
1980-81 Elaine Taylor Freeman Executive Director of ETV Endowment of South Carolina, Inc. D.Hum.
  Ted R. Morton, Jr. Methodist Minister D.D.
  Richard Wilson Riley Governor of South Carolina L.L.D.
1981-82 Michael Cunningham Watson Physician, Bamberg, South Carolina D.Hum.
  Marshall Alfred Shearhouse Retired Trust Officer L.L.D.
1982-83 Milton Kimpson Executive - South Carolina Health, Education, & Human Services D.Hum.
  Daniel R. McLeod Former Attorney General of South Carolina L.L.D.
1983-84 Edward King Hardin, III Judge of Probate, Chester County, South Carolina L.L.D.
  Granville Aiken Hicks Minister, Cumberland United Methodist Church, Florence, South Carolina D.D.
1983-84 John Edwin Reeves Chairman of the Board, Reeves Brothers, Incorporated, Summit, New Jersey D.Sc.
1984-85 Floyd Wolfe Denny, Jr. Physician, Chapel Hill, North Carolina D.Sc.
  Thomas Travis Medlock Attorney General, Columbia, South Carolina LL.D.
  Charles Livingstone Allen United Methodist Minister, Houston, Texas (retired) D.Hum.
1985-86 James T. Laney President of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia D.D.
  J. Grady Locklear Teacher, Sumter High School, Sumter, South Carolina D.Hum.
  David G. Williamson Vice Chairman, Hospital Corporation of America, Nashville, Tennessee L.L.D.
1986-87 Richard B. Harwell Collector of Rare Books and Manuscripts Litt.D.
  William Charles Reid Minister, Shandon United Methodist Church, Columbia, South Carolina D.D.
  Anne Springs Close Businesswoman, Fort Mill, South Carolina D.Hum.
  Sandor Teszler Retired Industrialist, Spartanburg, South Carolina D.Hum.
1987-88 William Reuben Bouknight, III Minister, Trenholm Road United Methodist Church, Columbia, South Carolina D.D.
  Allen Louis Code Retired Educator, Seneca, South Carolina D.Hum.
  Walton James McLeod, Jr. Attorney, Statesman Walterboro, South Carolina LL.D.
1988-89 Paul Hardin Chancellor, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina D.Hum.
  Ernest F. Hollings United States Senator LL.D.
  (Awarded at Opening Convocation Sept. 1989)    
  Graham H. Rights Head of Moravian Church in the South, Winston-Salem, North Carolina D.D.
  Strom Thurmond United States Senator LL.D.
1989-90 Jackson Walker Carroll, Jr. Interim President, Hartford Seminary, Hartford, Connecticut D.D.
  Melvin Elton Hendricks President of Methodist College Fayetteville, North Carolina D.Hum.
  Edmund Patrick Joyce Executive Vice President Emeritus, University of Notre Dame D.Hum.
  Carroll Frederick Reames Retired Educator, Anderson, South Carolina D.Hum.
1990-91 W. Marshall Chapman Chairman, Inman Mills, Inman, South Carolina D.Hum.
  Jerome J. Richardson President & CEO, TW Services, Spartanburg, South Carolina D.Hum.
  Hugo Sheridan Sims, Jr. Chairman of the Board, Orangeburg National Bank, Orangeburg, South Carolina LL.D.
1991-92 Sinclair Emsley Lewis Senior Minister, Shandon United Methodist Church, Columbia, South Carolina D.D.
  Rudolph Ernest Mancke, III Director of Science and Nature Programming, South Carolina Educational Television D.Sc.
  George McMillan Reeves, Jr. Provost, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina Litt.D.
  Jeneil Beason Reeves Vice President/Secretary, Board of Directors, The Reeves Foundation, Summit, New Jersey D.Hum.
1992-93 Lewis P. Jones Retired Professor of History, Wofford College, Spartanburg, South Carolina D.Hum.
  C. N. Papadopoulos President, Papadopolous & Associates, Houston, Texas D.Sc.
  John M. Younginer, Jr. United Methodist Minister D. D.
1993-94 William Twitty Carpenter, Jr. Director, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center D.Sc.
  Francis Moffett Hipp Chairman Liberty Corporation, Greenville, South Carolina LL.D.
  Larry Hearn McCalla Retired Surgeon, Greenville, South Carolina D.Hum.
  William Henry Willimon Dean of the Chapel, Duke University Lit.D.
1994-95 Corella Allen Bonner Chairman, Bonner Foundation, Princeton, New Jersey D.Hum.
  Buck Mickel Chairman and CEO, RSI Corp., Greenville, South Carolina L.L.D.
  Franklin Oscar Smith Retired Minister, S. C. Conference, United Methodist Church, Maggie Valley, North Carolina D.D.
  Thomas Reginald Thackston Senior Pastor, Trenholm Rd. UMC, Columbia, South Carolina D.D.
  John Carl West Attorney, Former Governor of SC, Hilton Head, South Carolina L.L.D.
1995-96 Herbert Hucks, Jr. Archivist Emeritus, Spartanburg, South Carolina Litt.D.
  Laney Glenn Orr, Jr. Retired Bank Executive, Winston-Salem, North Carolina D.Hum.
  Theodore Holt Walter District Superintendent, The United Methodist Church, Columbia, South Carolina D.D.
1996-97 Lemuel C. Carter District Superintendent, The United Methodist Church, Marion, South Carolina D.D.
  Jimmy I. Gibbs President, Gibbs International, Spartanburg, South Carolina L.L.D
  Wade Clark Roof Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara, California D.Hum.
  Joe R. Utley Physician, Spartanburg, South Carolina D.Sc.
1997-98 Hugh M. Chapman Bank Executive, Atlanta, Georgia L.L.D.
  James P. Kilgo English Professor and Author, Athens, Georgia D.Hum.
  Walter W. Sessoms Retired Telephone Co. Executive (BellSouth), Atlanta, Georgia L.L.D
  C. Thomas Wyche Attorney, Greenville, South Carolina D.Hum.
1998-99 William L. Kinney, Jr. Newspaper Executive, Bennettsville, South Carolina D.Hum
  John W. Kuykendall (Awarded at Opening Convocation September 9, 1999)  Professor of Religion, Former President, Davidson College D.Hum
  Robert E. Gregory, Jr. Business Executive, Landrum, South Carolina LL.D
  Elizabeth J. Patterson Former State Senator and Congresswoman, Spartanburg LL.D
1999-2000 Ernest A. Finney, Jr. Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina LL.D
  Harris Llewellyn Wofford, Jr. CEO, Corporation for National Service, Washington, D. C. LL.D
2000-2001 Joab M. Lesesne, Jr. President Emeritus, Wofford College, Spartanburg, South Carolina D.Hum
2001-2002 Elijah Curran Burnett, III Associate Justice, SC Supreme Court, Spartanburg, South Carolina LL.D
  Costa Michael Pleicones Associate Justice, SC Supreme Court, Columbia, South Carolina LL.D
  John Henry Waller Associate Justice, SC Supreme Court, Marion, South Carolina LL.D
  Millard Dean Fuller (Awarded at Convocation February 28, 2002) Founder, Habitat for Humanity Int., Americus, Georgia LL.D
2002-2003 Morris Seligman Dees, Jr. (Awarded at Opening Convocation September 5, 2002) Founder, Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, Alabama LL.D
2002-2003 James Fisher DeBerry Head Football Coach, Air Force Academy, Colorado D.Hum.
  Gameel Byron Hodge Retired Surgeon, Spartanburg, SC D.Sc.
2003-2004 Donald Lionel Fowler Public Relations Consultant, Columbia, SC LL.D
  Sara Starnes Shingler United Methodist Lay Leader, Spartanburg, SC D.Hum.
2004-2005 Michael Joseph Copps Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C. LL.D
  James Lawrence McCleskey Resident Bishop, Western North Carolina Conference, U.M.C., Charlotte, NC D.D.
  Robert Michael Panoff Founder and Executive Director, The Shodor Education Foundation, Durham, NC D.Sc.
  Minor Mickel Shaw President, Micco Corporation, Greenville, SC D.Hum.
2005-2006 Marian Wright Edelman (Awarded at Convocation April 20, 2006) Founder & President, Children’s Defense Fund, Washington, D. C. D.Hum.
  Paul Edward Farmer, Jr. (Awarded at Convocation, March 2007) Physician, Medical Educator, Washington, D.C. D.Sc.
  Marion Josiah Hatchett Professor Emeritus, The School of Theology, The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee D.Hum.
  Russell Calvin King, Jr. Retired Business Executive, Atlanta, Georgia D.Hum.
2006-2007 Joan Ganz Cooney (Approved by the faculty and Board of Trustees, but declined to accept) Educational Television Producer, New York, NY D.Hum.
  Matthew James Perry, Jr. Civil Rights Leader, US District Judge, Columbia, SC LL.D
  Francis Robicsek (For scheduling reasons, not awarded until Commencement 2009) Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Art Collector, Charlotte, NC D.Hum.
  Allen Heath Stokes, Jr. Historian, Academic Mentor, Columbia, SC D.Hum.
2007-2008 George Dean Johnson, Jr. Business Executive, Spartanburg, SC D.Hum
  Andrew Ho Kang Physician, Medical Educator, Memphis, TN D.Sc.
  Dan Baker Maultsby Dean of the College Emeritus, Wofford College, Spartanburg, South Carolina D.Hum.
2008-2009 Vernon J. Baker (Awarded at Opening Convocation, September 11, 2008) Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, Saint Maries, ID D.Hum.
  William Barnet, III Mayor of Spartanburg, Philanthropist D.Hum.
  James E. Clyburn Member, US House of Representatives LL.D
  Louise Erdrich (Degree offered and declined, February 2009) Author D.Hum.
  Henry Wright Gibson Physician, medical mission founder D.Sc.
  William H. Shore (Awarded Opening Convocation, September 22, 2011)  Founder, Share our Strength D.Hum.
2009-2010 Thomas C. Brittain Attorney, Past Chair, Board of Trustees, Myrtle Beach, SC D.Hum.
  Frederick S. Middleton, III Founder and President, Southern Environmental Law Center, Charlottesville, VA LL.D
  Jacqueline Novogratz (Awarded at special convocation, March 2, 2010) Founder and CEO, The Acumen Fund D.Hum.
2010-2011 Michael S. Brown Trustee and student life visionary, Atlanta, GA D.Hum.
  Henry St. Claire Fredericks Known to the world as Taj Mahal  Renowned Blues Musician, Los Angeles, CA D.Hum
  Bobby Gene Stephens Dean of the College Emeritus, Wofford College, Spartanburg, South Carolina D.Sc.
  Ashley Tuttle Ballerina, SC native, New York, NY D.Hum