Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Honorary Degrees Committee

The Honorary Degrees Committee is a standing committee of the University Senate. It was created on April 8, 1908, upon the motion made by Peter C. Lutkin. The first Honorary Degrees Committee appointed by President Abram Harris included professors: Daniel Bonbright, Thomas F. Holgate, Henry Schofield and John H. Long.

Terms of Appointment

Committee members are appointed at the beginning of each academic year by the University President. The members are chosen from a list of nominations submitted by the General Faculty Committee. Prior to the establishment of this committee the President selected members directly.

Committee Procedures

The Honorary Degrees Committee usually meets in October and begins to solicit suggestions for nominations from committee members, administrators, faculty, students, trustees and alumni. The Alumni Association as a whole formerly submitted nominations, however this was discontinued and nominations are now made by individual alumni only.

Once nominated, individuals are considered on the basis of merit with no references to their sponsorship. After the Committee has received additional endorsements and/or expanded vita for each nominee, the initial list of fifty to seventy names is pared to ten, or twelve.

The University President then informally discusses the final list with members of the Board of Trustees to determine any strong dislikes or inclinations to include a candidate. The names are then presented to the University Senate for its consideration. A closed session of the Senate is held in March and Senate members may offer additional names for consideration. The final candidates are selected by secret ballot, with a majority vote required for approval.

The Chairman of the Honorary Degrees Committee conveys the final list of candidates to the President, who forwards the list to the Board of Trustees for its approval. The Board is the only body at Northwestern University authorized to confer degrees, earned or honorary. Finally, the approved candidates are notified by the Board of Trustees of their selection and are called to receive their degrees at the June Commencement. Each candidate must be present in order to receive his or her degree. Usually five of six degrees are awarded each year. As a rule, current or emeritus faculty are not given honorary degrees.

From the guide to the Honorary Degrees Committee, Records, 1917-1975, (Northwestern University Archives)