Honorary Degrees Conferred by ODU

 

Date Recipient Affiliation  Degree Bestowed 
May 2022 Barbara J. Smoot President and CEO, Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD) Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
May 2022 J. William Wulf, M.D. CEO, Central Ohio Primary Care Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
August 2021 Governor Mike DeWine Governor of Ohio Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
August 2021 Fran DeWine First Lady of Ohio Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
May 2018 Sister Janice Bachman, OP Dominican Sisters of Peace, ODU Board Trustee Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
May 2018 Thomas Mueller President, Partner of Mueller Consulting Inc. Chairman, ODU Board of Trustees Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
December 2017 Sterling W. Hedrick, M.D. President, Columbus Arthritis Center & former ODU Board Trustee Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
May 2017 Thomas R. Winters, Esq. Partner, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, ODU Board Trustee and 1972 Ohio Dominican alumnus Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
May 2017 Richard (Dick) W. Maxwell Founder & CEO, Maxwell Financial Management, ODU Board Trustee and 1969 Ohio Dominican alumnus Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
December 2016 Julia M. McNamara, Ph.D. Former President, Albertus Magnus College and 1965 Ohio Dominican alumna Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
May 2016 David C. Bianconi Founder, Progressive Medical Inc. Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
December 2015 Robert "Bob" L. Dawes Co-Founder, Bob-Boyd Auto Family Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
December 2015 James "Jim" F. Laird Board Director & Corporate Secretary, Diamond Hill Investment Group Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
May 2015 Governor John R. Kasich Governor of Ohio Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
December 2014  The Most Reverend Frederick F. Campbell, D.D., Ph.D.  Bishop of Columbus   Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa
May 2014 Father Wilson (Bill) Miscamble, C.S.C., Ph.D. Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, Indiana  Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa
December 2013 Beatrice E. Wolper President, Emens & Wolper Law Firm, Columbus Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa
J. Richard Emens Partner, Emens & Wolper Law Firm, Columbus  Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa
May 2013 Stephen D. Steinour Chairman, CEO & President, Huntington Bancshares, Inc., Columbus Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa
December 2012 Michael Curtin Associate Publisher Emeritus, The Columbus Dispatch, and 
State Representative 
Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa
May 2012 Gene T. Harris, Ph.D Superintendent & C.E.O.,  Columbus City Schools Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
December 2011  Dr. Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.  President, Joint Implant Surgeons, New Albany Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
May 2011  Sister Margaret Ormond, O.P. Prioress, Dominican Sisters of Peace, Columbus Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa  
December 2010 Ann Pizzuti  Columbus Community Leader & Former Trustee Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa   
May 2010 Jeffrey Wadsworth, Ph.D.  CEO & Battelle, Columbus  Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa  
Msgr. Joseph M. Hendricks  Pastor, St. Brigid of Kildare Church, Dublin, Ohio  Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa 
December 2009 Mike Mentel  General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, ms consultants, inc, and President, Columbus City Council   Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa   
September 2009 John “Kesh” Pappas  Co-Founder, President & CEO, Dollar Federal Savings Association, New York  Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 
Joseph Kenefick, Ph.D.  Educator & Humanitarian  Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa  
May 2009  Robert Schottenstein  Chair, CEO & President of M/I Homes  Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa   
Father Charles Bouchard  Retired President, Aquinas Institute of Theology   Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa 
December 2008 Curtis J. Moody President/CEO of Moody Nolan, Inc. Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa 
May 2008  Ann Schiele, Ph.D., R.N.  President, Mt. Carmel College of Nursing Doctor of Science, honoris causa 
December 2007  The Most Reverend Robert J. McManus  Bishop of Worcester, MA  Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa
Sister Anne Kilbride, O.P.  Prioress, St. Mary of the Springs Doctor of Divinity honoris causa 
May 2007  David Hollenbach, S.J.  Margaret O'Brien Flatley Professor of Catholic Theology at Boston College

Doctor of Humanities honoris causa 
December 2006  Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, '69  Senior Chairman of Elford, Inc., Columbus  Doctor of Public Service, honoris causa 
May 2006  Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B. Co-chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women  Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa 
December 2005  Donald P. McConnell Battelle Corporate Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Laboratory Operations, Columbus  Doctor of Public Service, honoris causa 
Nancy Wolfe Lane Member of the Board of Trustees of Agricultural Lands, Wolfe Associates and Wolfe Enterprises Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa
May 2005  Sr. Charles Marie Brantl, O.P.  Director of Assessment & Institutional Research Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, CT Doctor of Higher Education, honoris causa 
The Reverend Nathan D. Baxter  Rector of Saint James Episcopal Church, Lancaster, PA  Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa 
December 2004 Dr. Carl F. Kohrt, Ph.D.  President & CEO, Battelle  Doctor of Science, honoris causa 
May 2004 Helen Thomas Syndicated Columnist, Hearst Newspapers Doctor of Letters, honoris causa 
Toyoshi Satow President, Obirin University, Japan Doctor of Higher Education, honoris causa 
December 2003 Dr. Joyce Beatty Member, Ohio House of Representatives  Doctor of Public Service, honoris causa 
Otto Beatty, Jr. Esq. Attorney Doctor of Laws, honoris causa
May 2003 Bishop Thomas Gumbleton Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit & Pastor of St. Leo Church  Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa
Sister Ruth Caspar, O.P. Professor of Philosophy, Ohio Dominican University  Doctor  of Humanities, honoris causa 
December 2002 Yvette McGee-Brown President, Center for Child & Family Advocacy  Doctor of Laws, honoris causa  
May 2002 

 Aminah Robinson Artist  Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa 
John P. Walters Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, The White House Doctor of Laws, honoris causa
2001 Sr. Mary Andrew Matesich, O.P  President, Ohio Dominican College  
Jefferson A. Thomas Financial Specialist, Contract Pay Services
2000  Dr. Rosa A. Smith Superintendent, Columbus Public Schools
William H. Hadler Community Leader and Former Board of Trustees Member 
Sr. Akiko Tsuji President, Aomori Akenohoshi Junior College Japan
1999 Rowland C.W. Brown Consultant, Executive (Retired), and Member of Ohio Dominican’s Board of Trustees
Sr. Thomas Albert Corbett, O.P. Associate Director of the Honors Program at Ohio Dominican
1998  Dr. Kathyrn Sullivan  President & C.E.O., COSI
Roman Johnson  Artist
1997  Dimon Richard McFerson Chair & CEO, Nationwide Insurance Enterprise
Cecilia S. Cullman Community Volunteer Leader 
Reverend Leon L. Troy, Sr. Member, Columbus Board of Education
1996 Claude W. Willis Past Project Director,Upward Bound
Richard W. Kimball President & Director, The Teagle Foundation
Judith Y. Brachman Director, Ohio Department of Aging
1995  Thekla Reese Shackelford Educational Consultant
Lewis R. Smoot, Sr. President & C.E.O., The Smoot Corporation
1994 The Most Reverend James A. Griffin
Harold M. Nesto President, Columbus State Community College
Floradelle Atwater Pfahl Community Volunteer Leader
1993 Wil Haygood
Chalmers P. Wylie U.S. Congress (1966-1992) 
Gerald E. Mayo Chairman, C.E.O. & President, The Midland Mutual Life Insurance Company
1992 Sherian Grace Cadoria  Brigadier General, USA (Ret.)
1991 Arthur D. Herrmann Retired Chairman & President of BancOhio, and Former Chairman, Ohio Dominican Board
Martin Nyeu, '76 President, Wendy’s Taiwan, Inc., and Principal, Chian Shu Senior High School 
1990 Sr. Josephine King, O.P.  Elementary School Teacher, 54 years
Melvin L. Schottenstein Attorney, Schottenstein, Zox and Dunn 
Bella Cabakoff Wexner  The Limited Stores, Inc., and Board of Trustees, Secretary 
1989 John E. Fisher General Chairman & C.E.O., Nationwide Insurance Companies  
Clifford A. Tyree  Administrator, Retired, Youth Services Bureau
1988 Sr. Jean Patrice Harrington Cincinnati Youth Collaborative
Arthur Kobacker  President & C.E.O., Kobacker Company 
1987 The Honorable Silvio O. Conte  U.S. Representative, 1st Congressional Dist., MA
1986  Monsignor Leonard J. Fick Retired from Pontifical College Josephinum in 1985
1985  Margaret Grant Fielders Library Science Faculty, Retired, Ohio Dominican College
Helen McDaniel Executive Director, Retired, Catholic Social Services 
1984 Sherwood Fawcett President & C.E.O., Battelle Memorial Institute
Everett H. Krueger  Retired Senior Vice President, Bank One 
Herbert Schiff  Chairman, SCOA Industries 
1983 Thomas Moody Mayor, City of Columbus
Paul Rutter Gingher  Chairman of the Board & C.E.O.,  State Automobile Insurance Company
John G. McCoy CEO, Bank One Corporation
1982 Joseph L. Davis  Superintendent of Public Schools, City of Columbus
The Most Reverend Edward J. Herrmann  Bishop of Columbus
1979 Wilbert Henry Yahn Retired, President of Columbus Division Rockwell International, and Past President of the Ohio Dominican Board of Trustees
S. Robert Davis Board Chairman & President, Orange-Co.
Sister Francis de Sales Heffernan, O.P. Mother General, St. Mary of the Springs
1978 Sister Suzanne Uhrhane, O.P. President, Ohio Dominican College
1977  John W. Galbreath   
Thornton N. McClure  Financial Director, Ohio Dominican College 
Sister Rose Dominica Hanks, O.P. Dominican Sister, member of original staff at Ohio Dominican
1975  Dean Weldon Jeffers Member of Ohio Dominican’s Board of Trustees, Nationwide Insurance
1973 Dr. Shepherd L. Witman  President & Chairman of the Board Regional Council for International Education (1959-73)
 1970 Evan Arthur Whallon  Conductor, Columbus Symphony Orchestra
H. Ross Perot  President, Electronic Data Systems, Dallas, TX 
1968 1955  Rev. Joachim M. Bauer, O.P. Professor Emeritus – Ohio Dominican, and Member of Ohio Dominican’s Advisory Board
Edward F. Wagner  Vice President, Nationwide Insurance, Inc.
Charles Y. Lazarus  F. & R. Lazarus Company 
Bob Hope The World's Friend 
Bernard C. Lang, Sr.  President, McNally Lumber Company and Member of Ohio Dominican’s Advisory Board
Mrs. Katherine Burton Author
1950 Mrs. Anna Shannon McAllister Author 
Mrs. Maisie Ward Sheet  Writer, Lecturer & Publisher 
 1935 Sara Shanley  For outstanding social work in Nebraska
 1930 Rhea Joseph Cyprian Brady, O.P.  
 1928 Mrs. Anne O'Hare McCormick Social Editor of the New York Times
John Daniel Logan  Head of the English Dept., Marquette University 
Dr. John Becker  A member of the Music Dept. of St. Mary of the Spring