Honorary Degrees

Williams has conferred honorary degrees since 1795. All members of the college community are encouraged to make nominations, from which each year the Honorary Degrees Advisory Committee recommends to the full Board of Trustees a group of potential recipients who have excelled in diverse fields and stand as inspiring examples for our graduating students. Each year one recipient delivers the Commencement address, and one delivers the Baccalaureate address.

We invite your nominations for honorary degree recipients.

First name Last name Degree Year
Charles Sedgwick MA 1814
Henry Bowen Stimson MA 1814
Joseph Barrell Emerson MA 1813
Sylvester Woodbridge BA 1813
Abraham Hinds MA 1812
Alexander Proudfit DD 1812
Timothy Woodbridge MA 1812
William Charles Jarvis MA 1811
Thomas P. Jones MA 1811
David Porter DD 1811
William Buel MA 1810
Horatio Jones MA 1810
Levi Nelson MA 1810
Samuel Leonard MA 1809
Samuel Blatchford DD 1808
Charles Coffin DD 1808
Samuel Austin DD 1807
Mills Purdy BA 1807
Samuel Spring DD 1807
Hezekiah Balch DD 1806
Peter Bryant MA 1806
John Hough MA 1806
Eldad Lewis MA 1806
Daniel Parker MA 1806
Seth Smith MA 1806
Elijah Wheeler MA 1806
Elisha Yale MA 1806
Samuel Fuller MA 1805
David Harrower MA 1805
John Bassett DD 1804
Daniel Burhans MA 1804
Rufus King LLD 1803
Matthew Perkins MA 1803
Job Swift DD 1803
James Thompson MA 1803
Charles Backus DD 1801
Nathaniel Dwight MA 1801
Joseph Lyman DD 1801
Samuel Mackay MA 1801
Samuel Prince Robbins MA 1801
Timothy Whitman MA 1801
Joseph Bridgman MA 1800
Thomas Day MA 1800
Warren Dutton MA 1800
Bancroft Fowler MA 1800
Henry Davis MA 1799
Charles Denison MA 1799
John Leland MA 1799
Euab Brewer MA 1798
Jeremiah Day MA 1798