Kettering University Honorary Degree Recipients

The historic origins of the presentation of an honorary degree date to the 1470s, when the University of Oxford presented the first recorded honoris causa degree (Latin: "for the sake of the honour"). Kettering University has been presenting honorary degrees since 1986. It is one of the highest recognitions presented at the University.

Name
Degree
Month/Year
Title and Company when degree was conferred
Roger B. Smith Doctor of Management June 1986 Chairman, General Motors Corporation
Hans A. Matthias Doctor of Engineering June 1987 Retired Vice President, Ford Motor Company
Paul F. Oreffice Doctor of Management June 1987 Chairman, President and CEO,  Dow Chemical Company
Donald F. Ephlin Doctor of Humanities June 1988 International Vice President, United Auto Workers
Martha R. Seger Doctor of Management June 1988 Member, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System
F. James McDonald '44 Doctor of Engineering June 1988 Retired President, General Motors Corporation
Hermann Scholl Doctor of Engineering June 1988 President, Robert Bosch Corporation
Elliott M. (Pete) Estes '38 Doctor of Engineering
(Awarded Posthumously)		 June 1988 Retired President, General Motors Corporation
Jamie Escalante Doctor of Humanities June 1989 Mathematics Teacher, Garfield High School, East Los Angeles, CA
Richard L. Terrell Doctor of Management June 1989 Vice Chairman, General Motors Corporation and Retired, Board of Directors
Frances Hesselbein Doctor of Management June 1990 President and CEO of Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management and Retired CEO of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
Milford Barron '37 Doctor of Engineering June 1991 President, Precision Instruments in Grand Blanc, MI
Joseph T. Gorman Doctor of Management June 1992 Chairman and CEO, TRW, Inc.
Mrs. C. S. (Ruth) Mott Doctor of Humane Letters June 1992 Philanthropist, Flint, MI
Clifton R. Wharton, Jr. Doctor of Management June 1992 Chairman and CEO, TIAA-CREF in New York City
Lester M. Alberthal, Jr. Doctor of Management June 1993 Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO, Electronic Data Systems Corporation
E. Douglas Hougen Doctor of Engineering June 1993 President, Hougen Manufacturing Company
Kent C. Nelson Doctor of Management June 1993 Chairman and CEO, United Parcel Service
Donald R. Beall Doctor of Engineering June 1994 Chairman of the Board and CEO, Rockwell International Corporation
Scott G. McNealy Doctor of Engineering June 1994 President, Chairman, CEO, Sun Microsystems Inc.
Robert E. Reiss '60 Doctor of Engineering June 1994 Chairman and CEO, InterVentional Technologies, Inc.
Mrs. Virginia W. Kettering Doctor of Humane Letters September 1994 Philanthropist,  Dayton, Ohio
Mrs. Zelpha McKinnon Doctor of Humane Letters December 1994 Philanthropist, Flint, MI
Mylon Eugene Merchant Doctor of Engineering December 1994 Retired, Research Scientist, Milacron Co., Cincinnati, Ohio
Arthur L. Tuuri, M.D. Doctor of Humane Letters December 1994 Retired, Pediatrition (M.D.), Mott Childrens Health Center (Polio Research)
Edward N. Harris Doctor of Humane Letters June 1995 Retired, Former President, Gulf + Western Manufacturing Co.
Warren J. McEleney '44 Doctor of Management June 1995 President, McEleney Motors Inc.
David C. Collier Doctor of Management December 1995 Charter Member and Incorporator, GMI Board of Trustees
Retired, General Motors Vice President and Group Executive
Donald E. Johnson, Jr. Doctor of Humane Letters June 1996 Retired, Chairman, Citizens Bank in Flint, MI
Martin D. Walker '54 Doctor of Management June 1996 Chairman and CEO, M.A. Hanna Company in Cleveland, Ohio
Frederick G. Wacker, Jr. '42 Doctor of Engineering June 1996 Chairman of the Board,  Liquid Controls Corporation, Lake Bluff, IL
William S. White Doctor of Humane Letters December 1996 Chairman, President, CEO The C.S. Mott Foundation, Flint, MI
Carol Bartz Doctor of Management June 1997 Chairman of the Board, President, CEO of Autodesk, Inc.
Benjamin Carson, M.D. Doctor of Humane Letters June 1997 Neurosurgeon (M.D.) at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
Albert James Sobey '45 Doctor of Engineering December 1997 President, Albert Sobey & Associates
Frank Stronach Doctor of Management December 1997 Chairman, Magna International Inc. in Canada
John F. Smith, Jr. Doctor of Management June 1998 Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, General Motors Corporation
Klaus von Trotha Doctor of Humane Letters June 1998 Minister of Science, Arts, Research Baden-Wurttemberg, Stuttgart, FRG
John H. McConnell Doctor of Management December 1998 Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Worthington Industries
Curtis E. Moll Doctor of Management December 1998 Chairman and CEO, MTD Products Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio
Charles R. Weeks Doctor of Management June 1999 Retired, CEO of Citizens Bank in Flint, MI
Alexander C. Mair '43 Doctor of Engineering June 1999 Retired, General Motors Vice President and Group Executive of the Technical Staffs
Jo Ann Shaw Doctor of Management December 1999 President and CEO of The Coffee Beanery, LTD. in Flint, MI
Donald J. Almquist '55 Doctor of Engineering December 1999 Retired Chairman, President, CEO of GM Delco Electronics Corporation
David Bing Doctor of Management June 2000 CEO, The Bing Group in Detroit, MI
Stephen N. McEwen '54 Doctor of Engineering June 2000 Retired, President and CEO, Henry Filters Inc. in Bowling Green, OH
Albert J. Koegel Doctor of Management December 2000 CEO of Kogel Meats Inc. in Flint, MI
Reverend Avery Aldridge Doctor of Humane Letters December 2000 Paster and Founder of the Foss Avenue Baptist Church, Flint, MI
Charles L. Schaffer Doctor of Management June 2001 Retired Chief Operating Officer of UPS in Atlanta, GA
Dean Kamen Doctor of Engineering December 2001 President of DEKA and Founder of FIRST (For Inspiration & Recognition of Science and Technology)
Omer E. Miller '39 Doctor of Humane Letters April 2002 Retired Owner, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Philanthropist, Porta-Soft Company and Co-Owner, Heather Glens and Possum Trot Golf Courses
Ivan A. Deveson '59 Doctor of Management June 2002 Former Lord Mayor, Melbourne, Australia and Former National President, Australian Institute of Management
MaliVai Washington Doctor of Management June 2002 Professional Athlete and ESPN Sports Analyst and Founder, MaliVali Washington Kids Foundation
Edward J. Neithercut Doctor of Humane Letters December 2002 Retired, Local Flint Attorney - Neithercut Law Firm
E. Stanley (Stan) O'Neal '74 Doctor of Management December 2002 President and CEO and Director, Merrill Lynch & Company Inc. in New York City
Robert A. Lutz Doctor of Management June 2003 Chairman of General Motors North America and Vice Chairman of Product Development for General Motors Corporation
Donald B. Chaffin '61 Doctor of Engineering December 2003 Professor of Industrial and Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
John M. Samuels '66 Doctor of Engineering June 2004 Senior Vice President, Operations, Planning and Support, Norfolk Southern Corporation
Charles L. Sargent '59 Doctor of Engineering December 2004 President, Quality Boat Lifts Inc. in Fort Myers, FL Retired, Co-Founder, President and Chairman of the Board, The Thetford Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI
E. Michael Mutchler '57 Doctor of Engineering December 2004 Retired GM Vice President and Group Executive-in-Charge of GM's North American Operations & Powertrain Groups and a member of GM's North American Strategy Board
Paul J. Chiapparone Doctor of Management June 2005 Retired, Vice Chairman of EDS (Electronic Data Systems)
Karl-Heinz Kammerlohr Doctor of Management June 2005 Director General of International Affairs, Baden-Wuerttemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts, Stuttgart, FRG
Steve Wozniak Doctor of Engineering December 2005 Co-Founder of Apple Computer
Chester A. Huber '77 Doctor of Engineering June 2006 President of On Star Corporation
L. Brooks Patterson Doctor of Humane Letters December 2006 Oakland County Executive
Joseph B. Anderson Doctor of Management June 2007 Chairman and CEO of Tag Holding Companies in Troy, MI
Congressman, Dale E. Kildee Doctor of Humane Letters December 2007 Congressman, Democrat, representing 5th District in the State of Michigan
Gary L. Cowger '70 Doctor of Engineering December 2007 Group Vice President of Global Manufacturing and Labor Relations
Curtis R. Carlson Doctor of Science June 2008 President and Chief Executive Officer, SRI International
David W. Hermance ’70 Doctor of Engineering June 2008 Executive Engineer for Advanced Technology Vehicles, Toyota Technical Center, USA
Dr. Russell J. Ebeid '62 Doctor of Management
 July 2008 President, Guardian Glass Group a subsidiary of Guardian Industries Corporation
Michael M. Wood Doctor of Humane Letters June 2009

Former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden and Chair, Redwood Investments, LLC
Bolded Names are Deceased
List Compiled By: Susan Van Camp  svancamp@kettering.edu