Honorary Doctorate Recipients and Professors Emerit
Honorary Doctorates
Using their work to make a difference in the world
CCA has awarded more than 100 Honorary Doctorate Fine Arts degrees since 1954. The nomination process, led by the Board of Trustees Academic Committee, is a community-wide endeavor and represents the collective ideals of students, faculty, staff, trustees, and alumni.
The recognition is bestowed upon creators who represent CCA’s tradition of rigorous theory and radical practice.
2020s
- 2024
Deborah Willis | Visual Artist
Hank Willis Thomas (MFA Photography and MA Visual Criticism 2003) | Visual Artist - 2023
Mildred Howard | Mixed Media - 2022
Marc Bamuthi Joseph | Arts Activism/Spoken Word - 2021
Sir Jony Ive | Design
2010s
- 2019
Joyce J. Scott | Fine Arts/Jewelry & Sculpture - 2018
Glenn Adamson | Design
Lia Cook | Textiles - 2017
Neal Benezra | Museum Director - 2016
Catherine Opie | Fine Arts/Photography - 2015
Joan Jonas | Fine Arts - 2014
Holland Cotter | Writing and Literature - 2013
Amory Lovins | Science - 2012
Bill Moggridge | Design - 2011
John Baldessari | Fine Arts/Interdisciplinary
Betty Reid Soskin | Community Leader - 2010
Alice Waters | Community Leader
2000s
- 2000
Viola Frey (’55) | Fine Arts/Ceramics
Phyllis Wattis | Community Leader - 2001
Ed Ruscha | Fine Arts/ Painting
Barbro and Bernard Osher | Community Leaders - 2002
Christo and Jeanne-Claude Fine | Arts/Sculpture/Installation
Robert and Margrit Mondavi | Community Leaders - 2003
Richard Goldman | Community Leader
Ann Hamilton | Fine Arts/Painting
Ann Hatch | Community Leader - 2004
Rhodessa Jones | Community Leader
James Archibald Turrell | Fine Arts/Installation - 2005
Samella Lewis, Ph.D. | Fine Arts/Painting/Art History
Michael McClure | Humanities and Science
Barclay Simpson | Community Leader - 2006
Richard Tuttle | Fine Arts/Painting
Julia Parker | Community Leader - 2007
Robert Bechtle (’58) | Fine Arts/Painting
Trinh T. Minh-ha | Humanities/Visual Criticism - 2008
Thom Mayne | Architecture - 2009
Kara Walker | Multidisciplinary Artist
1990s
- 1999
Kenneth Frampton | Architecture
Mimi Silbert | Community Leader
Carrie Mae Weems | Fine Arts/Photography - 1998
Steven Oliver | Community Leader
Bill Viola | Fine Arts/Film/Video/Performance
Lawrence Halprin | Architecture/Landscape Architecture/Design - 1997
Cecil Williams | Community Leader
Jim Dine | Fine Arts/Printmaking - 1996
Toni Morrison | Humanities & Science
Claes Oldenberg | Fine Arts/Sculpture
Coosje van Bruggen | Humanities & Science - 1995
R.B. Kitaj | Fine Arts/Painting
Wayne Wang (’72, ’73) | Fine Arts/Film/Video/Performance - 1994
Richard Serra | Fine Arts/Sculpture - Robert Mims Wilson | Fine Arts/Film/Video/Performance
- 1993
Dennis Leon | Fine Arts/Sculpture
Marlon Troy Riggs | Fine Arts/Video/Film/Performance
Faith Ringgold | Fine Arts/Painting - 1992
Jean Houston | Humanities & Science
Manuel Neri (’56 | Fine Arts/Sculpture - 1991
Sheila Levrant De Bretteville | Design/Graphic Design
David Ireland (’72) | Fine Arts/Sculpture - 1990
Joseph Esherick | Architecture
Betye Saar | Fine Arts/Painting
1980s
- 1989
Elmer Bischoff | Fine Arts/Painting
Miriam Schapiro | Fine Arts/Painting - 1988
Louise Bourgeois | Fine Arts/Sculpture
Dale Patrick Chihuly | Fine Arts/Glass
Frank O. Gehry | Architecture
June Wayne | Fine Arts/Printmaking - 1987
Louis Siegriest | Fine Arts/Painting - 1985
Kathan Brown (’68) | Fine Arts/Printmaking
Robert Clyde Maynard | Community Leader
1970s
- 1979
Eudorah M. Moore
Al Parker - 1978
Fritz Eichenberg
David Rockefeller Jr. - 1977
Saul David
Robert Boardman Howard - 1976
Sheldon Cheney
Roman Vishniac - 1975
John B. Hightower
Hideyo Tsukamoto - 1974
Ruth Asawa
Eugene W. Leake - 1973
Wayne Thiebaud - 1972
S.P.R. Charter
Peter Voulkos (1952) - 1971
Paul C. Mills
1960s
- 1969
Thomas Carr Howe - 1968
Imogen Cunningham
Robert Hughes
Nathan Oliveira
Harold Taylor - 1967
Gerhard Samuel
Peter Selz - 1966
Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington
R. Buckminster Fuller - 1965
Alfred Neumeyer - 1964
Josef Albers - 1963
Alfred Frankenstein - 1962
Charles Eames - 1960
Aileen Osborn Webb
1950s
- 1959
Harris King Prior - 1958
Charles Luckman
Jo Sinel - 1957 Walter Landor
Harry J. Williams - 1956
S. I. Hayakawa
Maurice Logan
Grace L. McCann Morley - 1955
Vincent Price - 1954
Frederick H. Meyer
Professors Emerit
Tenured faculty members with an Emerit designation
Professors accorded the honorary rank of Emerit
CCA is proud to honor the following tenured faculty members with a professor emerit designation.
2020s
- 2024
Judith Serin, Writing & Literature
Jeanne Finley, Film
Brook Hinton, Film
Deborah Valoma, Textiles
Gloria Frym, MFA Writing
Marilyn Da Silva, Jewelry & Metal Arts
Patricia Kilroe, Writing & Literature
Martin Venezky, MFA Design
Emily McVarish, Graphic Design - 2023
Robert Epstein, Film
Chris Johnson, Photography
Jean Oppermann, Illustration
Mark Eanes, Illustration
Clifford Rainey, Glass
Barry Katz, Industrial Design - 2022
Claudia Bernardi, Critical Ethnic Studies; Community Arts
Celeste Connor, History of Art and Visual Culture
Barney Haynes, Sculpture; Film
Lynn Marie Kirby, Film
Mitchell Schwarzer, History of Art and Visual Culture - 2021
Richard Elliot, Textiles
Mark Thompson, Sculpture
Glen Walton, Critical Ethnic Studies - 2020
Clay Jensen, Sculpture
Tirza Latimer, Visual Studies
Mie Preckler, First Year Core Studio Program
Rick Vertolli, Visual Studies
Thomas Wojak, Printmedia
2010s
- 2019
Howard Eige, Painting and Drawing
Franklin Williams, Painting and Drawing - 2018
Opal Palmer Adisa, Diversity Studies; Writing and Literature - 2017
Susan Ciriclio, Photography
Virginia Dofflemyer, Visual Studies
Linda Fleming, Sculpture
Jack Ford, Printmaking
Virginia Jardim, Diversity Studies; Writing and Literature
Maria Makela, Visual Studies
Sandra Roos, Critical Studies - 2016
Barbara Forbes, Visual Studies
Jim Goldberg, Photography
Kathleen Larish, Textiles
Bogna Lorence-Kot, Critical Studies
Lawrence McClary, Painting and Drawing
Jack Mendenhall, Painting and Drawing
Barron Storey, Illustration - 2015
Carole Beadle, Textiles
Lia Cook, Textiles
John Laskey, Writing and Literature - 2014
Stephen Ajay, Writing and Literature
Kenneth Davids, Critical Studies; Writing and Literature
Raymond Saunders, Painting
Cooley Windsor, Writing and Literature - 2012
David Heintz, First Year Core Studio
Mary Snowden, Painting
Thomas White, First Year Core Studio - 2011
Elizabeth Sher, Painting and Drawing
2000s
- 2009
Hank Dunlop, Interior Design - 2008
Doug Akagi, Graphic Design
Stephen Goldstine, Graduate Studies - 2007
Betsy Davids, Printmaking; Writing and Literature
Margaret Mackenzie, Critical Studies
Michael McClure, Writing and Literature
Vince Perez, Painting and Drawing - 2006
Richard Gayton, Painting and Drawing - 2001
Philip Morsberger, Painting and Drawing - 2000
Bella Feldman, Sculpture
1990s
- 1998
Charles Gill, Printmaking - 1997
Patricia Walsh, Painting
