Through the years, these individuals were selected to receive the highest honor from The University of Rhode Island. These are the individuals who distinguished themselves through important contributions to the University, to the State of Rhode Island, or to the nation — individuals who deserved to be honored by the University and who bring honor to the University by having accepted a URI degree.
2021
Mona Hanna-Attisha, M.D., M.P.H.
Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D.
William P. Babcock, ‘68, M.A. ‘72,U.S. Army
Navyn Salem
2019
Patrick Kennedy
Edward Avedisian
Margaret Brandon ’80, M.M.A. ’97
John Grandin
Lynn Pasquerella
2018
Gina McCarthy
Dr. Dharam Ablashi
Akihiro Nikkaku
Anne Mimi Sammis
Jim Taricani
2017
Duthiers, Vladimir
Carothers, Robert L.
Farragher, Thomas
Spears, Lorén
Tella, Alfred J.
2016
Sotomayor, Sonia
Tapia, Richard
Caprio, Frank
DiMaio, Christopher
Will-Cole, Melanie
2015
Tanzi, Rudolph E.
Cherry, Shirley
Schnelle, Rolf-Dieter
Taylor, Angus C. F.
DiMaio Jr., Leo F. (posthumously)
2014
Blanco, Richard
Flynn, LTG Michael T. (Revoked, January 2022)
LaFayette Jr., Bernard
Nolan, Anne
2013
Feroce, Giovanni
Rafaelian, Carolyn
Kennard, Mary
DiMuccio, Robert A.
Simon, Franklin Wallace
2012
Bodden, Marlen Suyapa
DeVaudreuil, Amy
Saulnier, Philip J.
Subramaniam, Shivan
2011
Baxt, Victor
Booker, Cory
Hassenfeld, Alan
Leinen, Margaret
2010
Adams, Karen
King, John
Sakakibara, Sadayuki
Terry, Lesa
2009
Brennan, William J.
Neves, Jose Maria Pereira
Walton, Charles D.
2008
Doody, Agnes
Durand, Douglas
Fascitelli, Michael
Hill, Christopher
Page, Clarence
Warner, William
2007
Chafee, Lincoln D.
Mukherjee, Joia Stapleton
Musco, Sebastain Paul
Rao, Calyampudi Radhakrishna
2006
Hirsch, Janet
Joyal, Fred
Langley, Dennis
Williams, Frank J.
Wroe, Thomas, Jr.
2005
Hong, Seoung-Yong
Hood, Ann
McKinstry, Nancy
Murphy, John
Ross, Mark
Stoukides, John Aristotle
Vogel, Paula
2004
Chafee, Stephanie Danforth
Gallant, Matthew J.
LaPorte, Leon J.
MacDonell, Herbert Leon
Smith, Deborah
Verrecchia, Alfred J.
2003
Almond, Lincoln C.
Anderson, Susan E.
Beaupre, Richard E.
Doyle, Daniel E. Jr. (Revoked, January 2018)
Giuliani, Rudolph (Revoked, January 2022)
Kaull, Caroline Tennant
Merenda, Peter F.
Wolf, Rt. Rev. Geralyn
2002
Doctor, Wilbur
Harrington, Richard
Schock, Nancy Carpenter
French
Shattuck, John
2001
Avarista, Marion F.
Kim, David
Lahiri, Jhumpa
McCarthy, Marlene
Mossberg, Walter S.
2000
Blount, Lt. General Bruce
Demetrakas, Gregory and Anna
Halyburton, Porter
Higgins, Robert J.
King, Coretta Scott
Maguire, Mairead Corrigan
Wood, Reverend Dr. Virgil
1999
Ferrante, William R.
Graboys, George
Guinier, Lani
Lott, Bernice
Ryan, Thomas M.
Valdez, Luis
1998
Begley, Ed Jr.
Carey, James W.
Eddy, Edward D.
Eddy, Mary “Polly” S.
Feinstein, Alan Shawn
Galanti, Peter Marinus
Meek, Barbara
Quinn, John Collins
Sundlun, Bruce
Walsh, J.T. (posthumously)
1997
Baer, Nadine (Hon MLS)
Budnick, Alfred S.
DiFazio, Louis T.
Driscoll, Jean
Ferguson, Claire
Love, Dr. Susan
Sang-Woo, Shin
Shelton, Henry
Tootell, Lucy Rawlings
White, John Hazen, Sr.
Wiesel, Elie
1996
Corey, Lester W.
Dickinson, Brian
Earle, Sylvia
Gray, Mary A.
Hunt, Reverend George N.
Lewis, Captain John R.
Love, Robert
Pell, Nuela
1995
Amanpour, Christiane
Finkelstein, Augusta
Kirk, Heidi
Ostrach, Simon
1994
Boorda, Jeremy M.
Frederick, Lafayette
Ireland, Patricia
Love, Christoper Blake (posthumously)
Magaziner, Ira C.
Malkovich III, Mark P.
McCreight, Sandra S.
Meyerson, Martin
Monroe, Phyllis
Pezzullo, Thomas R. (posthumously)
Reilly, Sr. Mary
Torman, Howard
1993
Corr, J. William, Jr.
Farmer, James
Hawkes, Alfred L.
Hindle, Marguerita C.
Maeda, Katsunosuke
Nardone, Henry J.
Sekatau, Ella Wilcox Thomas
Smith, David M.
Sturges, Benjamin R.
1992
Bagdikian, Ben Haig
Creedon, Rev. Joseph D.
Hope, Bob
Jack, J. Louis
Knauss, John A.
Kinney, Lorenzo D., Jr.
Mollica, Joseph A.
Osborne, Jeffery (Hon B)
Peters, Roberta
Strossen, Nadine
Thompson, O. Rogeriee
Youngken, Heber W., Jr.
1991
Adams-Ender, Clara L.
Gutterman, Rabbi Leslie Y.
Kamba, Walter J.
Mario, Ernest
1990
Anderson, Harry
Benson, Frederick J.
Carlotti, Albert
Langhammer, Peg
Murray, Terrence
Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr.
1989
Bisson, William R.
Carlson, Eleanor
DeFrantz Anita
Newman, Frank
1988
Levine, Irving R.
Murray, Blanche
Murray, Dan
McLaughlin, Ann
Sullivan, Leon
Wilkes, David
1987
DiPrete, Edward D.
Essex, Myron
Oster, Richard M.
Pettine, Raymond J.
Rainville, A. Robert
Saks, Gene
Sculley, John
1986
Ballard, Robert David
Crandall, Robert Lloyd
Gould, William Benjamin IV
Hogg, Russell Elton
Stahl, Lesley
1985
Jennings, Peter C.
Sarni, Vincent A.
Schock, Edson I.
Van Leesten, Michael S.
1984
Browne, Dr. Rose Butler
Cope, Oliver
Peterson, Reverend Thomas
Turco, Vincent Joseph
1983
Beretta, David
Howe II, Harold “Doc”
Ress, Joseph William
Steward, Rowena
Wiley, William D.
1982
Boss, Bradford R.
DiLuglio, Domenic R.
Grossman, Morton A.
Grossman, Ruth L.
Stockdale, James Bond
Wiley, Alton W.
1981
Kirk, Chester
Kirk, Kenneth L.
Sawyer, Ada L.
Smith, Warren D.
1980
Adler, Mortimer
Blount, Luther
Slater, Eleanor
Zorabedian, Richard
1979
Brown, Edwin C.
Gulland, John A.
Jackson, Jesse L.
McKenna, Margaret A.
Potter, Ralph C.
1978
Bethune, Ade
Enes, Jose
Press, Frank
Rego, John L.
Richardson, Elliot Lee
1977
Bell, Andrew J., Jr.
Garrahy, J. Joseph
Kelly, Lucie Young
Kelman, Arthur
Martin, Faith McNulty
McManus, R. Louise
Woodcock, Leonard
1976
Caldwell, Sarah
D’Wolf, Nancy Bradford
Lanning, Frank B.
Moore, Clifton A.
1975
Hoban, Albert J.
Husen, Torsten
Noel, Philip W.
Redwing, Princess Mary
1974
Baum, Werner A.
Eichenberg, Fritz
Flanagan, William F.
Foster, Millicent S.
Hall, Charles A.
Kenyon, Bradford H.
Wiley, George
1973
Dykstra, Jacob J.
Farrell, James P.
Kauffman, Joseph F.
Tiernan, Robert O.
1972
Downing, Antoinette F.
Namias, Jerome
Samuelson, Paul A.
Schwier, Mildred E.
1971
Arris, George
Licht, Frank
Sapinsley, Lila M.
1970
Kibarian, Barkey
Stanford, Henry King
White, Louis
1969
Cargill, Daniel Olney
Haworth, Leland John
Horn, Francis H.
1968
Brown, George H.
Casserly, Catherine M.
Fuller, Richard Buckminster
Iselin, Columbus O’Donnell
Miller, George William
Riley, Gordon A.
Spilhaus, Athelstan
Wenk, Edward, Jr.
Woodbury, Harry G., Jr.
Wright, Stephen J.
Zirkind, Ralph
1967
Bohnen, Eli A.
DeWolf, Robert
Doyle, James J.
Edwards, William H.
Fain, Norman M.
Gardner, John W.
Hass, William P.
Heffner, Ray L.
Jackson, Lady Barbara
Jones, Nettie Marie
Knowles, Asa
Levy, June Rockwell
Mainelli, Hugo
McConnell, John W.
Potter, Nancy A. J.
Reuther, Walter P.
White, Nelson C.
1966
Bronk, Detlev W.
Doxiadis, Constantinos A.
Fish, Marie Poland
Johnson, Lyndon B.
Kelleher, William O.
Kerr, Clark
Melson, Charles L.
Mirando, Felix A
1965
Aldrich, Winthrop W.
Chafee, John H.
Cousins, Norman
Friendly, Fred W.
Hartung, Ernest W.
Macdougald, William T.
Proctor, Samuel D.
Schuman, William
Wheeler, Gen. Earle G.
1964
Ackroyd, Margaret O’Conner
Austin, Bernard L.
Cheadle, Vernon I.
Copland, Aaron
Farrell, Marie
Kemalian, Anthony
Moses, Robert
Pell, Claiborne
Terry, Luther L.
Udall, Stewart L.
Wirtz, W. Willar
1963
Belluschi, Pietro
Dore, Vincent C.
Gaige, William C.
Hanley, Arthur F.
Hodgson, Percy
Murray, Florence K.
Notte, John A., Jr.
Rusk, Dean
Trott, Raymond H.
1962
Browning, Harold W.
Brucher, Olga P.
Crandall, Julian T.
McNamara, Andrew T.
Morton, Robert C.
Walker, Eric A.
1961
DelSesto, Christopher
Farrell, Eileen
Malik, Charles H.
O’Conner, Daniel A.
Tanner, Frederick C.
Wilson, Logan
1960
Aldrich, Daniel G., Jr.
Benson, Ezra Taft
Bigelow, Henry Bryant
Braude, William G.
Eisenhower, Dwight David
Ewing, W. Maurice
Gardner, Emmet G.
Heeney, A.D.P.
Hesburgh, Rev. Theodore
Ingersoll, Stuart H.
Magoun, Horace W.
Mather, Jean Paul
1959
Brown, T. Dawson
Johnson, Eldon L.
Savastano, Americo A.
Woodward, Carl R.
1958
Bowles, Chester
Henry, David Dodds
Keeney, Barnaby C.
Knoblauch, Harold C.
Maynard, Leonard A.
1957
Diehl, Helmut C.
Hanley, James L.
Kelley, A. Livingston
Sarnoff, General David
Sherman, Clarence
1956
Ladd, Dr. Joseph H.
Smith, Sen. Margaret Chase
Spargo, George E.
1955
Adams, James P.
Ell, Carl S.
Winton, Kate B.
1954
Eisenhower, Milton S.
Hannah, John A.
Hoffman, Paul G.
Strauss, Lewis L.
1953
Bunche, Ralph H.
Carmichael, Leonard
Daniels, Farrington
Kraus, Charles A.
Leonard, Mrs. Newton P.
Noyes, William A.
Sachar, Abram L.
Stakman, Elvin C.
Winne, Harry A.
1952
Cassidy, Rev. Thomas V.
Clothier, Robert C.
Lawrence, George H.
Stillwell, Margaret B.
Wilson, Milburn L.
1951
Flanders, Ralph E.
Jorgensen, Albert N.
Roberts, Dennis J.
Thorpe, Gen. Elliott R.
1950
Adams, Arthur S.
Bennett, Rev. Granville G.
Fine, Benjamin
Waksman, Dr. Selman A.
1949
DeGraff, Bartholomew R.
Hettrick, Dean E.
McVinney, Bishop Russell J.
Pastore, Senator John O.
1948
Brown, John N.
Case, Norman S.
Dunlap, Renwick W.
Farnum, Royal B.
Hunt, Alice W.
Kennerson, William H.
Knott, James E.
Lewis, Harry R.
Sikorsky, Igor I.
Spruance, Adm. Raymond A.
Tigert, John J.
1945
Marsh, Daniel
Wales, Royal L.
1943
Hauck, Arthur A.
Morriss, Margaret S.
1942
Keyes, Frederick G.
Tillinghast, Theose E.
Wriston, Henry M.
1941
Woodruff, James A.