WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY
HONORARY DOCTORATES CONFERRED, BY DATE OF AWARD
Year Honoree  (Degree)
1842
William C. Preston (Doctor of Laws)
1843
John Hendren (Doctor of Divinity)
Andrew Herron (Doctor of Divinity)
John McElhenny (Doctor of Divinity)
1847
Ebenezer Pressly (Doctor of Divinity)
Samuel Williamson (Doctor of Divinity)
1849
Henry Ruffner (Doctor of Laws)
1850
James Moore Brown (Doctor of Divinity)
1851
John W. Brockenbrough (Doctor of Laws)
John B. Minor (Doctor of Laws)
1852
Richard Armstrong (Doctor of Divinity)
J. Calvin Grier (Doctor of Divinity)
Elias Harrison (Doctor of Divinity)
M. L. Staunton (Doctor of Divinity)
1853
John Grammar (Doctor of Divinity)
1854
Arthur Hopkins (Doctor of Laws)
William Leigh (Doctor of Laws)
Lucas P. Thompson (Doctor of Laws)
1856
John H. Bocock (Doctor of Divinity)
1857
John M. P. Atkinson (Doctor of Divinity)
1859
James B. Ramsay (Doctor of Divinity)
(The Board also approved six honorary Master of Arts degrees for William H. Brooks, Andrew J. Hayslett, David G. Houston, David E. Laird, Jonathan H. Moore and Bennet W. Moseley. These degrees have not been included in the counts of this report.)
1860
(The Board approved an honorary Master of Arts degree for C. Baker Davidson. This degree has not been included in the counts of this report.)
1865
(The Board approved two honorary Master of Arts degrees for Carter Harris and James J. White. These degrees have not been included in the counts of this report.)
1866
(The Board approved four honorary Master of Arts degrees for Harry Estill, H. Ruffner Morrison, John William Reily and William M. Wilson. These degrees have not been included in the counts of this report.)
(At this point in the records, a gap occurs in the awarding of honorary degrees. It is unlikely that honorary degrees were awarded during this period. The Board, several times during the interim, debated the awarding of honorary degrees. 
1872
The minutes of the June 26-27, 1872, meeting include the following entries: 
"12. That it is deemed inexpedient to take any action, looking to the adoption of a special policy in conferring honorary degrees. The Faculty, however, are invited to make, from time to time, such nominations as they may judge suitable, under the restrictions presented in their report."
Also, "Prof I. L. Kirkpatrick, present by invitation, was called upon to put the Board more fully in possession of the views & wishes of the Faculty with regard to the granting of Hon. degrees. After Prof. K. has addressed the Board at some length & had retired, the Board discussed very fully the whole question and then in motion agreed to confer the following degrees...")
1872
William T. Joynes (Doctor of Laws)
Alexander McAusland (Doctor of Divinity)
Richard C. L. Moncure (Doctor of Laws)
Thomas L. Preston (Doctor of Divinity)
1873
Judah P. Benjamin (Doctor of Laws)
John A. Campbell (Doctor of Laws)
Joseph Cottrell (Doctor of Divinity)
H. Herbert Harris (Doctor of Divinity)
Samuel R. Houston (Doctor of Divinity)
John Percival (Doctor of Divinity)
John W. Pratt (Doctor of Divinity)
1874
Vincent L. Bradford (Doctor of Laws)
Nahum Capen (Doctor of Laws)
J. William Jones (Doctor of Divinity)
William F. Junkin (Doctor of Divinity)
John Kinnear (Doctor of Divinity)
James T. Leftwich (Doctor of Divinity)
Richard R. Mason (Doctor of Divinity)
R. H. McKim (Doctor of Divinity)
Samuel Rodgers (Doctor of Divinity)
William Henry Ruffner (Doctor of Laws)
1875
W. G. Coe (Doctor of Divinity)
William Preston Johnston (Doctor of Laws)
Charles O'Conor (Doctor of Laws)
Kensey J. Stewart (Doctor of Divinity)
C. R. Vaughan (Doctor of Divinity)
M. B. Wharton (Doctor of Divinity)
1876
Wood Bouldin (Doctor of Laws)
Charles Mackay (Doctor of Laws)
1877
Richard T. Davis (Doctor of Divinity)
James Neilson Lea (Doctor of Laws)
A. D. Pollock (Doctor of Divinity)
Hugh W. Sheffey (Doctor of Laws)
1878
Alexander J. Beresford-Hope (Doctor of Laws)
John R. Bowman (Doctor of Divinity)
T. T. Eaton (Doctor of Divinity)
R. S. McCulloch (Doctor of Laws)
Kinloch Nelson (Doctor of Divinity)
Rt.-Rev. George W. Peterkin (Doctor of Divinity)
G. B. Strickler (Doctor of Divinity)
1879
Franklin B. Gowen (Doctor of Laws)
Frederick George Lee (Doctor of Divinity)
Robert M. Wallace (Doctor of Divinity)
Henry M. White (Doctor of Divinity)
1880
J. G. Armstrong (Doctor of Divinity)
Vincent L. Bradford (Doctor of Literature ?)
Matthew L. Lacy (Doctor of Divinity)
James Scott (Doctor of Divinity)
John Welsh (Doctor of Laws)
1881
Thomas T. Everett (Doctor of Divinity)
G. Watson James (Doctor of Letters)
L. O. C. Lamar (Doctor of Laws)
Rodes Massie (Doctor of Letters)
Col. J. T. L. Preston (Doctor of Laws)
David W. Shanks (Doctor of Divinity)
1882
George W. Cable (Doctor of Letters)
Henry E. Dwight (Doctor of Divinity)
Paul H. Hayne (Doctor of Laws)
John J. Lafferty (Doctor of Letters)
Judge Robert Ould (Doctor of Laws)
1883
Walter Blair (Doctor of Letters)
John G. Carlisle (Doctor of Laws)
John W. Daniel (Doctor of Laws)
Thomas E. Peck (Doctor of Laws)
Charles R. Van Romondt (Doctor of Letters)
Col. Scott Shipp (Doctor of Letters)
1884
James T. Latimer (Doctor of Divinity)
Rt.-Rev. A. M. Randolph (Doctor of Laws)
1885
E. C. Burks (Doctor of Laws)
John Hall ((Doctor of Laws)
W. W. Landrum (Doctor of Divinity)
W. A. Leonard (Doctor of Divinity)
D. M. Rankin (Doctor of Divinity)
Lawrence Rust (Doctor of Laws)
John P. Strider (Doctor of Divinity)
James A. Waddell (Doctor of Divinity)
W. A. Wade (Doctor of Divinity)
Rt.-Rev. A. W. Wilson (Doctor of Laws)
1886
George D. Armstrong (Doctor of Laws)
Samuel Brown (Doctor of Divinity)
A. C. Dixon (Doctor of Divinity)
Moses D. Hoge (Doctor of Laws)
Clements R. Markham (Doctor of Laws)
J. H. Waugh (Doctor of Divinity)
1887
J. S. Gardner (Doctor of Divinity)
James Grammer (Doctor of Divinity)
Robert P. Ker (Doctor of Divinity)
A. K. McClure (Doctor of Laws)
Thomas Nelson Page (Doctor of Letters)
J. R. Sampey (Doctor of Divinity)
1888
Rev. W. A. Campbell (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. E. C. Dargan (Doctor of Divinity)
J. H. Gilmore (Doctor of Laws)
William Wirt Henry (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. S. S. Lambeth (Doctor of Divinity)
W. T. McAusland (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. J. W. Rosebro (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. Henderson Suter (Doctor of Divinity)
Robert Watts (Doctor of Laws)
1889
Rev. Alexander Alison (Doctor of Divinity)
E. A. Allen (Doctor of Letters)
James H. Dillard (Doctor of Letters)
Rev. G. W. Finley (Doctor of Divinity)
T. M. Jackson (Doctor of Science)
Rev. J. A. Kern (Doctor of Divinity)
Samuel Marsh (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. W. M. McPheeters (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. E. A. Renouf (Doctor of Divinity)
William Taylor Thom (Doctor of Letters)
Joseph Addison Waddell (Doctor of Laws)
1890
Edmund Pendleton (Doctor of Laws)
1891
(None awarded)
1892
Rev. A. M. Cackley (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. R. H. Fleming (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. J. H. Hundley (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. Samuel MacCaullay Jackson (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. S. S. Moore (Doctor of Divinity)
Rt. Rev. George W. Peterkin (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. J. A. Preston (Doctor of Divinity)
Judge William J. Robertson (Doctor of Laws)
1893
S. Z. Ammen (Doctor of Letters)
G. W. Beale (Doctor of Divinity)
A. R. Cocke (Doctor of Divinity)
Mercer P. Logan (Doctor of Divinity)
John McGill (Doctor of Divinity)
G. H. Ray (Doctor of Divinity)
General Scott Shipp (Doctor of Laws)
Hannis Taylor (Doctor of Laws)
1894
L. G. Barbour (Doctor of Laws)
Alcee Fortier (Doctor of Letters)
William Strother Jones (Doctor of Divinity)
J. J. Lloyd (Doctor of Divinity)
Paul L. Menzel (Doctor of Divinity)
Roger Q. Mills (Doctor of Laws)
George C. Vanderslice (Doctor of Divinity)
1895
Carter Helm Jones (Doctor of Divinity)
E. W. McCorkle (Doctor of Divinity)
Alexander W. Sproull (Doctor of Divinity)
June 1896
Daniel Blain (Doctor of Divinity)
John Chamberlain (Doctor of Divinity)
Charles S. Hamlin (Doctor of Laws)
William Lindsay (Doctor of Laws)
Rt.-Rev. John B. Newton (Doctor of Divinity)
Rt.-Rev. James R. Winchester (Doctor of Divinity)
1897
F. J. Brooke (Doctor of Divinity)
T. M. Carson (Doctor of Divinity)
General W. P. Craighill (Doctor of Laws)
James A. Harrison (Doctor of Laws)
Frank Page (Doctor of Divinity)
1898
William McFaddin Alexander (Doctor of Divinity)
E. B. Kruttschnitt (Doctor of Laws)
Oscar Strauss (Doctor of Laws)
Goodridge A. Wilson (Doctor of Divinity)
1899
Lt.-Col. F. G. R. Henderson (Doctor of Laws)
John S. Lindsay (Doctor of Laws)
Harrison Randolph (Doctor of Laws)
Charles S. M. See (Doctor of Divinity)
1900
Gen. W. F. Draper (Doctor of Laws)
W. L. Prather (Doctor of Laws)
Thomas H. Somerville (Doctor of Laws)
1901
(None awarded)
1902
Lyman Hall (Doctor of Laws)
James Keith (Doctor of Laws)
1903
Robert E. Blackwell (Doctor of Laws)
A. B. Kinsolving (Doctor of Divinity)
F. T. McFaden (Doctor of Divinity)
W. M. Morrison (Doctor of Divinity)
George Foster Peabody (Doctor of Laws)
Edward M. Shepard (Doctor of Laws)
1904
Brown Ayres (Doctor of Laws)
L. M. Blackford (Doctor of Laws)
Rt.Rev. W. L. Gravatt (Doctor of Divinity)
Frank W. Lewis (Doctor of Divinity)
W. T. Price (Doctor of Divinity)
Herbert Welsh (Doctor of Laws)
W. McC. White (Doctor of Divinity)
1905
Berryman Green (Doctor of Divinity)
Robert S. McCormick (Doctor of Laws)
W. H. Pleasants (Doctor of Laws)
Isodor Straus (Doctor of Laws)
1906
D. L. Anderson (Doctor of Divinity)
Helm Bruce (Doctor of Laws)
Edward W. Carmack (Doctor of Laws)
Archdeacon Elliott (Doctor of Divinity)
Howard A. Kelly (Doctor of Laws)
R. K. Massie (Doctor of Divinity)
Kenneth G. Matheson (Doctor of Laws)
Alexander Lockhart Nelson (Doctor of Laws)
Thomas Nelson Page (Doctor of Laws)
Benjamin Sledd (Doctor of Letters)
Oswald Garrison Villard (Doctor of Letters)
1907
Joseph Bryan (Doctor of Laws)
John M. Glenn (Doctor of Laws)
Hamilton Wright Mabie (Doctor of Laws)
William A. MacCorkle (Doctor of Laws)
Sidney Turner Moreland (Doctor of Laws)
1908
Philip Alexander Bruce (Doctor of Laws)
Collins Denny (Doctor of Divinity)
John Yates Downhan (Doctor of Divinity)
Robert Latham Owen ((Doctor of Laws)
John Langhorne Williams (Doctor of Letters)
1909
John Caldwell Calhoun (Doctor of Letters)
Wade Hampton Ellis (Doctor of Laws)
Abram David Pollock Gilmour (Doctor of Divinity)
Everard Meade (Doctor of Divinity)
George Frederick Parker (Doctor of Laws)
Absalom Sydenstricker (Doctor of Divinity)
1910
George Earle Chamberlain (Doctor of Laws)
William Mead Clark (Doctor of Divinity)
Henry Tucker Graham (Doctor of Divinty)
William Uhler Hensel (Doctor of Laws)
Harry Bertram Lewis (Doctor of Divinity)
Edward R. Leyburn (Doctor of Divinity)
1911
Jonathan W. Bachman (Doctor of Divinity)
John Stewart Bryan (Doctor of Letters)
Merle D'Aubigne (Doctor of Divinity)
Charles Alfred Graves (Doctor of Laws)
William Soule Hammond (Doctor of Divinity)
Joseph Rucker Lamar (Doctor of Laws)
Henry Bedinger Lee (Doctor of Divinity)
1912
Thomas A. Ashley (Doctor of Laws)
Gamaliel Bradford (Doctor of Letters)
Gaillard Hunt (Doctor of Letters)
Harry White Myers (Doctor of Divinity)
Archer A. Plegar (Doctor of Laws)
1913
Charles Beattie Alexander (Doctor of Letters)
Wilbur Cosby Bell (Doctor of Divinity)
George Hutcheson Denny (Doctor of Laws)
Francis T. A. Junkin (Doctor of Laws)
Duncan Campbell Lyle (Doctor of Letters)
Brown Craig Patterson (Doctor of Divinity)
Alfred P. Thom (Doctor of Laws)
1914
J. Mercer Blain (Doctor of Divinity)
Josephus Daniels (Doctor of Letters)
Milton W. Humphreys (Doctor of Laws)
Holmes Rolston (Doctor of Divinity)
W. D. Smith (Doctor of Divinity)
1915
J. E. Booker (Doctor of Divinity)
Charles William Dabney (Doctor of Laws)
John William Davis (Doctor of Laws)
Rt.-Rev. Robert Carter Jett (Doctor of Divinity)
J. A. McMurray (Doctor of Divinity)
William Reynolds Vance (Doctor of Laws)
1916
Benjamin L. Ancell (Doctor of Divinity)
Henry W. Anderson (Doctor of Laws)
Newton D. Baker (Doctor of Laws)
Charles H. Grasty (Doctor of Letters)
L. E. Johnson (Doctor of Commercial Science)
Julius Kruttschnitt (Doctor of Commercial Science)
Hugh W. White (Doctor of Divinity)
1917
Walter E. Addison (Doctor of Letters)
Edward D. Colston (Doctor of Laws)
Charles G. Crooks (Doctor of Laws)
Joseph D. Eggleston (Doctor of Laws)
Isham Randolph (Doctor of Commercial Science)
Charles R. Stribling (Doctor of Divinity)
John M. Wells (Doctor of Divinity)
1918
Henry D. Flood (Doctor of Laws)
William A. Glasgow (Doctor of Laws)
Henry W. McLaughlin (Doctor of Divinity)
Charles F. Myers (Doctor of Divinity)
Wilfred Weaver Shaw (Doctor of Divinity)
William A. Webb (Doctor of Laws)
1919
Douglas Southall Freeman (Doctor of Laws)
1920
Judge Martin P. Burks (Doctor of Laws)
Samuel M. Glasgow (Doctor of Divinity)
Addison Hogue (Doctor of Letters)
J. B. Massy (Doctor of Divinity)
James A. McClure (Doctor of Divinity)
William Gibson Pendleton (Doctor of Divinity)
1921
Westmoreland Davis (Doctor of Laws)
Charles Payne Fenner (Doctor of Laws)
Carter Glass (Doctor of Laws)
Harry Waddell Pratt (Doctor of Divinity)
William Chester White (Doctor of Divinity)
1922
John Thomas Trible Hundley (Doctor of Divinity)
General E. W. Nichols (Doctor of Laws)
William McQuown Thompson (Doctor of Divinity)
Edward Virginius Valentine (Doctor of Laws)
1923
John William Claudy (Doctor of Divinity)
John Henry Day (Doctor of Divinity)
Armistead Churchill Gordon (Doctor of Letters)
Thomas H. Harvey (Doctor of Laws)
Leonidas Willson Irwin (Doctor of Divinity)
Daniel Penick Junkin (Doctor of Divinity)
Joseph Luther Kelly (Doctor of Laws)
1924
Matthew Page Andrews (Doctor of Letters)
William Waddell Arrowood (Doctor of Divinity)
John Sanford Cohen (Doctor of Laws)
Edward Theodore Dumble (Doctor of Science)
LeRoy Gresham (Doctor of Divinity)
Robert Alberti Lapsley, Jr. (Doctor of Divinity)
Rt.-Rev. William G. McDowell (Doctor of Divinity)
1925
W. E. Davis (Doctor of Divinity)
Churchill J. Gibson (Doctor of Divinity)
Edward Christian Glass (Doctor of Laws)
James Melvin Lee (Doctor of Letters)
George A. Wauchope (Doctor of Letters)
Twyman Williams (Doctor of Divinity)
1926
Robert Morton Hughes (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. Donald William McDowell MacCluer (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. Charles Chamberlin McNeill (Doctor of Divinity)
John Barton Payne (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. Edward Everett Smith (Doctor of Divinity)
June 7, 1927
Martin Wilie Littleton (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. Willis Wilkinson Memminger (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. Joseph James Murray (Doctor of Divinity)
June 5, 1928
Rev. Cary Randolph Blain (Doctor of Divinity)
Hon. Harry Flood Byrd (Doctor of Commercial Science)
Herbert Ferrell Fitzpatrick (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. Graham Gilmer (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. William Thomson Hanzsche (Doctor of Divinity)
John Holladay Latané (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. William Thurmond Rivière (Doctor of Divinity)
June 4, 1929
William Horner Cocke (Doctor of Laws)
LeRoy Hodges (Doctor of Commercial Science)
Henry Winston Holt (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. Asa Richard Larrick (Doctor of Divinity)
William Robertson Perkins (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. Oscar deWolfe Randolph (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. Hubert Sydenstricker (Doctor of Divinity)
June 3, 1930
Homer Lenoir Ferguson (Doctor of Commercial Science)
Arthur Graham Glasgow (Doctor of Science)
Rev. Glenn Gordon Martin (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. Robert Whitfield Miles (Doctor of Divinity)
Robert Baylor Tunstall (Doctor of Laws)
June 9, 1931
Rev. Vincent Chesley Franks (Doctor of Divinity)
General John Archer Lejeune (Doctor of Laws)
Frank Orren Lowden (Doctor of Laws)
Merlen Edwin Pew (Doctor of Laws)
William Thomas Reed (Doctor of Commercial Science)
Archibald Rutledge (Doctor of Literature)
June 7, 1932
Rev. Robert McElwee Firebaugh (Doctor of Divinity)
John Clement Fitzpatrick (Doctor of Letters)
Rev. Devall Langhorne Gwathmey (Doctor of Divinity)
Colonel Edgar Erskine Hume (Doctor of Science)
Rev. William McElwee Miller (Doctor of Divinity)
Governor John Garland Pollard (Doctor of Laws)
Hon. Louis Arthur Watres (Doctor of Laws)
June 6, 1933
Douglas Smith Anderson (Doctor of Science)
Rev. Kenneth Joseph Foreman (Doctor of Divinity)
Judge Duncan Lawrence Groner (Doctor of Laws)
John Hill Morgan (Doctor of Laws)
John Lloyd Newcomb (Doctor of Science)
Rev. Herbert Stabler Osburn (Doctor of Divinity)
Sir Joseph Charles Stamp (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. Francis Campbell Symonds (Doctor of Divinity)
Ernest Trice Thompson (Doctor of Letters)
June 5, 1934
Rev. Oscar Vance Armstrong (Doctor of Divinity)
Rev. Reginald Victor Bennett (Doctor of Divinity)
Bennett Champ Clark (Doctor of Laws)
Rev. Charles Sylvester Green (Doctor of Divinity)
Scott Marion Loftin (Doctor of Laws)
Charles Delahunt Mahaffie (Doctor of Laws)
Effingham Buckley Morris (Doctor of Commercial Science)
June 7, 1935
Oscar Caperton Huffman (Doctor of Commercial Science)
Allen Nevins (Doctor of Letters)
Henry Taylor Wickham (Doctor of Laws)
June 12, 1936
Rev. Thomas William Fawthrop (Doctor of Divinity)
Junius Parker Fishburn (Doctor of Commercial Science)
William Taylor Thom, Jr. (Doctor of Science)
Rev. LeRoy Thompson (Doctor of Divinity)
June 11, 1937
James Brian Bell, Jr. (Doctor of Letters)
Craig Houston Patterson (Doctor of Divinity)