Honorary Degrees
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean McBurney '03 | Doctor of Business Administration | June 2024 | Regional President at Caesars Entertainment, Inc, |
|
Paul Bascobert '87 |
Doctor of Business Administration | June 2023 | President of Reuters |
| Brady Ericson ’94 | Doctor of Engineering | June 2022 | Vice President of BorgWarner Inc. and President and General Manager of Fuel Systems and Aftermarket |
| Latondra Newton ’91 | Doctor of Management | June 2018 | Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of The Walt Disney Company |
| Sonia Syngal '93 | Doctor of Management | June 2017 | Global President and CEO for Old Navy |
| Rodney O'Neal '76 | Doctor of Engineering | June 2015 | Retired CEO, Delphi |
| David Kenny '84 | Doctor of Management | June 2014 | The Weather Company |
| Robert C. Kagle '78 | Doctor of Engineering | June 2013 | General Partner and Co-Founder Benchmark Capital |
| Senator Carl Levin | Doctor of Humane Letters | June 2011 | Former United States Senator |
| Stanford R. Ovshinsky | Doctor of Engineering | December 2010 | Deceased, Noted Inventor, scientist, and entrepreneur |
| Henry Juszkiewicz '76 | Doctor of Management | December 2009 | Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar |
| Marissa T. Peterson '83 | Doctor of Management | July 2009 | President and CEO, Mission Peak Executive Consulting |
| Michael M. Wood | Doctor of Humane Letters | June 2009 | Former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden and Chair, Redwood Investments, LLC |
| Dr. Russell J. Ebeid '62 | Doctor of Management | July 2008 | Former Chairman and President, Guardian Glass Group, Guardian Industries |
| David W. Hermance '70 | Doctor of Engineering | June 2008 | Executive Engineer for Advanced Technology Vehicles, Toyota Technical Center, USA |
| Curtis R. Carlson | Doctor of Science | June 2008 | Former President and CEO, SRI International |
| Gary L. Cowger '70 | Doctor of Engineering | December 2007 | Chairman and CEO, GLC Ventures and Former Global Group Vice President, General Motors |
| Congressman, Dale E. Kildee | Doctor of Humane Letters | December 2007 | Congressman, Democrat, representing 5th District in the State of Michigan |
| Joseph B. Anderson | Doctor of Management | June 2007 | Chairman and CEO of Tag Holding Companies in Troy, MI |
| L. Brooks Patterson | Doctor of Humane Letters | December 2006 | Oakland County Executive |
| Chester A. Huber '77 | Doctor of Engineering | June 2006 | Former President and CEO, General Motors OnStar |
| Steve Wozniak | Doctor of Engineering | December 2005 | Co-Founder of Apple Computer |
| Karl-Heinz Kammerlohr | Doctor of Management | June 2005 | Director General of International Affairs, Baden-Wuerttemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts, Stuttgart, FRG |
| Paul J. Chiapparone | Doctor of Management | June 2005 | Former Vice Chairman, Electronic Data Systems |
| E. Michael Mutchler '57 | Doctor of Engineering | December 2004 | Former Vice President, General Motors Corporation |
| Charles L. Sargent '59 | Doctor of Engineering | December 2004 | Former President, Quality Boat Lifts and Former Co-Founder and CEO, Thetford Corporation |
| John M. Samuels '66 | Doctor of Engineering | June 2004 | Retired Senior Vice President, Norfolk Southern Corporation |
| Donald B. Chaffin '61 | Doctor of Engineering | December 2003 | Richard G. Snyder Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, Industrial and Operations Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Michigan |
| Robert A. Lutz | Doctor of Management | June 2003 | Automotive Executive |
| Stan O'Neal '74 | Doctor of Management | December 2002 | Former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Merrill Lynch |
| Edward J. Neithercut | Doctor of Humane Letters | December 2002 | Retired, Local Flint Attorney - Neithercut Law Firm |
| MaliVai Washington | Doctor of Management | June 2002 | Professional Athlete and ESPN Sports Analyst and Founder, MaliVali Washington Kids Foundation |
| Ivan A. Deveson '59 | Doctor of Management | June 2002 | 100th Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Australia |
| Omer E. Miller '39 | Doctor of Humane Letters | April 2002 | Former President, Porta-Soft |
| Dean Kamen | Doctor of Engineering | December 2001 | Founder, FIRST Robotics and Inventor of the Segway |
| Charles L. Schaffer | Doctor of Management | June 2001 | Former Chief Operating Officer, UPS |
| Avery Aldridge | Doctor of Humane Letters | December 2000 | Founder, Foss Avenue Baptist Church in Flint, MI |
| Albert J. Koegel | Doctor of Management | December 2000 | Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Treasurer, Koegel Meat Company |
| Stephen N. McEwen '54 | Doctor of Engineering | June 2000 | Retired President and CEO, Henry Filters |
| David Bing | Doctor of Management | June 2000 | Retired Hall of Fame Basketball Player and Former Mayor of Detroit, MI |
| Donald J. Almquist '55 | Doctor of Engineering | December 1999 | Retired Chairman, President, and CEO, Delco Electronics |
| Joanne Shaw | Doctor of Management | December 1999 | Chief Executive Officer, Coffee Beanery |
| Alexander C. Mair '43 | Doctor of Engineering | June 1999 | Former Group Executive, General Motors Technical Staff and General Manager, Pontiac and GMC Divisions |
| Charles Weeks | Doctor of Management | June 1999 | Former President and Chief Executive Officer, Citizens Banking Corporations |
| Curtis E. Moll | Doctor of Management | December 1998 | Chairman and CEO, MTD Products |
| John H. McConnell | Doctor of Management | December 1998 | Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Worthington Industries |
| Klaus von Trotha | Doctor of Humane Letters | June 1998 | Minister of Science, Arts, Research Baden-Wurttemberg, Stuttgart, FRG |
| John F. Smith, Jr. | Doctor of Management | June 1998 | Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, General Motors Corporation |
| Frank Stronach | Doctor of Management | December 1997 | Founder of Manga International |
| Albert James Sobey '45 | Doctor of Engineering | December 1997 | President, Albert Sobey & Associates |
| Benjamin Carson | Doctor of Humane Letters | June 1997 | Retired Neurosurgeon, Author, and Republican Politician |
| Carol Bartz | Doctor of Management | June 1997 | Former President and CEO of Yahoo! and Former Chairman, President, and CEO of Autodesk |
| William S. White | Doctor of Humane Letters | December 1996 | Chairman and CEO, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation |
| Frederick G. Wacker '42 | Doctor of Engineering | June 1996 | Former Chairman of the Board, Liquid Controls Corporation |
| Martin D. Walker '54 | Doctor of Management | June 1996 | Retired Chairman and CEO, M.A. Hanna Company |
| Donald E. Johnson, Jr. | Doctor of Humane Letters | June 1996 | Retired, Chairman, Citizens Bank in Flint, MI |
| David C. Collier | Doctor of Management | December 1995 | Retired CEO, Operating Staffs, General Motors |
| Warren J. McEleney '44 | Doctor of Management | June 1995 | Former President of the National Automobile Dealers Association and President, McEleney Motors |
| Edward N. Harris | Doctor of Humane Letters | June 1998 | Retired President, Gulf + Western |
| Arthur L. Tuuri, M.D. | Doctor of Humane Letters | December 1994 | Former Pediatrician, Mott Children’s Health Center |
| Mylon Eugene Merchant | Doctor of Engineering | December 1994 | Manufacturing Pioneer |
| Mrs. Zelpha McKinnon | Doctor of Humane Letters | December 1994 | Philanthropist, Flint, MI |
| Mrs. Virginia W. Kettering | Doctor of Humane Letters | September 1994 | Philanthropist, Dayton, Ohio |
| Robert E. Reiss '60 | Doctor of Engineering | June 1994 | Biomedical Engineering Pioneer |
| Scott McNealy | Doctor of Engineering | June 1994 | Co-Founder, Sun Microsystems |
| Donald R. Beall | Doctor of Engineering | June 1994 | Retired Chairman and CEO, Rockwell International |
| Kent Nelson | Doctor of Management | June 1993 | Retired Chairman and CEO, United Parcel Service (UPS) |
| E. Douglas Hougen | Doctor of Engineering | June 1993 | Inventor, Author, and President, Hougen Manufacturing |
| Lester M. Alberthal, Jr. | Doctor of Management | June 1993 | Retired Chairman and CEO, Electronic Data Systems (EDS) |
| Clifton R. Wharton, Jr. | Doctor of Management | June 1992 | Former President of Michigan State University; Former Chancellor of the State University of New York system; 11th United States Deputy Secretary of State, and Former CEO of TIAA-CREF |
| Mrs. C. S. (Ruth) Mott | Doctor of Humane Letters | June 1992 | Philanthropist, Flint, MI |
| Joseph T. Gorman | Doctor of Management | June 1992 | Former Chairman and CEO, TRW |
| Milford Barron '37 | Doctor of Engineering | June 1991 | Founder, Precision Instruments |
| Frances Hesselbein | Doctor of Management | June 1990 | President and CEO, Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute and Former CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA |
| Richard Terrell | Doctor of Management | June 1989 | Former Vice Chairman, General Motors |
| Jaime Escalante | Doctor of Humanities | June 1989 | Former Mathematics Educator |
| Elliott M. (Pete) Estes '38 | Doctor of Engineering (Awarded Posthumously) | June 1988 | Former President, General Motors |
| Hermann Scholl | Doctor of Engineering | June 1988 | Honorary Chairman, Bosch Group |
| F. James McDonald '44 | Doctor of Engineering | June 1988 | Former President, General Motors |
| Martha R. Seger | Doctor of Management | June 1988 | Former Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System |
| Donald Ephlin | Doctor of Humanities | June 1988 | Former United Autoworkers Official |
| Paul F. Oreffice | Doctor of Management | June 1987 | Former President and CEO, Dow Chemical Company |
| Hans A. Matthias | Doctor of Engineering | June 1987 | Former Vice President, Ford Motor Company |
| Roger Bonham Smith | Doctor of Management | June 1986 |
Former Chairman, General Motors |