Honorary Degrees

Wartburg College confers honorary degrees in order to acknowledge and pay tribute to individuals who, by virtue of their distinguished service or outstanding achievement, have demonstrated the personal qualities and values which the College espouses in our mission and goals. In honoring these persons, we are saying to the world that their character, conduct and concerns are in accord with the fundamental principles underlying our educational mission. In each case, it should be particularly appropriate that Wartburg College be the institution to award the honorary degree. In this way, the College can publicly affirm and celebrate its mission, goals and vision by the honorary degrees it confers.

Timeline

March: Dean of Faculty presents nominations to Appointment, Rank, and Tenure (AR&T) Committee for review.
March: AR&T Committee reviews nominations and presents qualified candidates to the full faculty for vote.
Dean of Faculty presents results of faculty vote to the College President and Board of Regents for final approval on degree conferral.
April-May: Board of Regents reviews recommendations and approves candidates for conferral in May

Honorary Degree Guidelines (PDF)

Honorary Degree Recipients

Last Name	First Name	Degree	Year Awarded
Last Name: Engelbrecht	First Name: August	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1948
Last Name: Steinhauer	First Name: Reichert	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1949
Last Name: Steuer	First Name: Max	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 1949
Last Name: Streng	First Name: Adolph	Degree: Pedagogy	Year Awarded: 1949
Last Name: Belk	L.L.	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1950
Last Name: Graening	First Name: C. H.	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1950
Last Name: Miottel	First Name: Raymond	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1950
Last Name: Ochs	First Name: Herman	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1951
Last Name: F. Edward	First Name: F. Edward	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1951
Last Name: Braun	First Name: Theodore	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1952
Last Name: Keller	First Name: W. W. A.	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1952
Last Name: Knappe	First Name: William	Degree: Pedagogy	Year Awarded: 1952
Last Name: Kraushaar	First Name: Otto	Degree: Litt.D.	Year Awarded: 1952
Last Name: Mueller	First Name: Elwin	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1952
Last Name: Seegers	First Name: Walter	Degree: Science	Year Awarded: 1953
Last Name: Weinert	First Name: Mrs. H. H.	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1953
Last Name: Schultz	First Name: George	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1954
Last Name: Neumann	First Name: G. J.	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1955
Last Name: Schuh	First Name: Henry	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1955
Last Name: Haas	First Name: Dorothy	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1956
Last Name: Pretzlaff	First Name: Theo	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1956
Last Name: Dietzfelbinger	First Name: Landesbischof	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1957
Last Name: Moeller	First Name: Leslie	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1957
Last Name: Voecks	First Name: Walter	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1957
Last Name: Braun	First Name: Arthur	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1958
Last Name: Covey	First Name: Mrs. Arthur (Lois Lanski)	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1959
Last Name: Hagemann	First Name: Harry	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1959
Last Name: Carlsen	First Name: Anne	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1960
Last Name: Hestenes	First Name: Magnus	Degree: Science	Year Awarded: 1960
Last Name: Heinecken	First Name: Martin	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1961
Last Name: Nelson	First Name: Elmer	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1961
Last Name: Bucka	First Name: Melvin	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1962
Last Name: Graven	First Name: Henry	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1962
Last Name: Lechner	First Name: Rudolph	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1962
Last Name: Aylesworth	First Name: Phillip	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1963
Last Name: Blough	First Name: Roger	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1963
Last Name: Lentz	First Name: Fred	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1964
Last Name: Speigner	First Name: Theodore	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1964
Last Name: Dell	First Name: George	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1965
Last Name: Kretzmann	First Name: A. R.	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1966
Last Name: Kretzmann	First Name: O. P.	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1966
Last Name: Erhard	First Name: Ludwig	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1967
Last Name: Fauske	First Name: Sigvald	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1967
Last Name: Guthrie	First Name: Sir Tyrone	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1967
Last Name: Rathe	First Name: H. W.	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1967
Last Name: Schlachtenhaufen	First Name: Bruno	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1968
Last Name: Hardin	First Name: Robert	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1969
Last Name: Buckmaster	First Name: Robert	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1970
Last Name: McCoy	First Name: Robert	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1970
Last Name: Trout	First Name: Nelson	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1970
Last Name: Aland	First Name: Kurt	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1971
Last Name: Knutson	First Name: Kent	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1971
Last Name: Heist	First Name: Paul	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1972
Last Name: Meyer	First Name: Armin	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1972
Last Name: Poovey	First Name: William	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1972
Last Name: Silassie	First Name: Emmanuel	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 1972
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 1973
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 1974
Last Name: Anderson	First Name: Albert	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1975
Last Name: Schoenstedt	First Name: Arno	Degree: Musical Arts	Year Awarded: 1975
Last Name: Idzerda	First Name: Stanley	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1976
Last Name: Mansager	First Name: Felix	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1976
Last Name: Moore	First Name: C. Edwin	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1976
Last Name: Bolling	First Name: Landrum	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1977
Last Name: Osterbur	First Name: Ehme	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1977
Last Name: Salsbury	First Name: John	Degree: Science	Year Awarded: 1977
Last Name: Moehlmann	First Name: F. Herbert	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1978
Last Name: Starck	First Name: Kenneth	Degree: Literature	Year Awarded: 1978
Last Name: Buchheim	First Name: Durwood	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1979
Last Name: Collins	First Name: Marva	Degree: declines	Year Awarded: 1979
Last Name: Foege	First Name: William	Degree: Science	Year Awarded: 1979
Last Name: Hertel	First Name: Elmer	Degree: Science	Year Awarded: 1979
Last Name: Willson	First Name: Meredith	Degree: Music	Year Awarded: 1979
Last Name: Campbell	First Name: Ernest	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1980
Last Name: Green	First Name: Edith	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1980
Last Name: Beekmann	First Name: Darold	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1981
Last Name: Hillis	First Name: Margaret	Degree: Music	Year Awarded: 1981
Last Name: Walter	First Name: Ingrid	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1981
Last Name: Boyd	First Name: Willard	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1982
Last Name: Hanson	First Name: Robert	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1982
Last Name: Larsen	First Name: Leonard	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1982
Last Name: Bluedorn	First Name: Carl	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1983
Last Name: Schoenbohm	First Name: Wilko	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1983
Last Name: Grefe	First Name: Mary	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1984
Last Name: Larsen	First Name: Homer	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1984
Last Name: Schumacher	First Name: Marvin	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1984
Last Name: Wavering	First Name: Elmer	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1984
Last Name: Domsch	First Name: Kurt	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1985
Last Name: Fintel	First Name: Norm	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1985
Last Name: Engelbrecht	First Name: Bill	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1986
Last Name: Hamm	First Name: Bill	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1986
Last Name: Helmick	First Name: Robert	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1986
Last Name: Kleckner	First Name: Dean	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1986
Last Name: Lutz	First Name: Charles	Degree: Litt.D.	Year Awarded: 1986
Last Name: Tye	First Name: Martha-Ellen	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1986
Last Name: Dole	First Name: Elizabeth	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1987
Last Name: Lynne	First Name: Robert	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1987
Last Name: Ma	First Name: Gershom	Degree: Musical Arts	Year Awarded: 1987
Last Name: Miller	First Name: Curtis	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1987
Last Name: Aland	First Name: Barbara	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1988
Last Name: Koeneman	First Name: Al	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1988
Last Name: Schultz	First Name: Richard	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1988
Last Name: Weissenbuehler	First Name: Wayne	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1988
Last Name: Baca	First Name: Polly	Degree: Laws	Year Awarded: 1989
Last Name: Cunningham	First Name: Walt	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1989
Last Name: Evans	First Name: Cooper	Laws	Year Awarded: 1989
Last Name: Hyde	First Name: Betty Jean	Degree: Humanities	Year Awarded: 1990
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 1991
Last Name: Bonderud	First Name: Omar	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1992
Last Name: Ullestad	First Name: Steve	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1992
Last Name: Meyer	First Name: Del	Degree: Science	Year Awarded: 1993
Last Name: Pascucci	First Name: Vito	Degree: Music Ed.	Year Awarded: 1993
Last Name: Beem	First Name: John	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1994
Last Name: Matheis	First Name: Robert	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 1994
Last Name: Brodhun	First Name: Hans-Peter	Degree: Laws and Literature	Year Awarded: 1995
Last Name: Dovre	First Name: Paul	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1995
Last Name: Branstad	First Name: Gov. Terry	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1996
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 1998
Last Name: Diers	First Name: Herman	Degree: Laws and Literature	Year Awarded: 1999
Last Name: Matthias	First Name: Ron	Degree: Letters	Year Awarded: 1999
Last Name: Christensen	First Name: Ross	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2000
Last Name: Schell	First Name: Paul	Degree: Public Affairs	Year Awarded: 2000
Last Name: Henning	First Name: Kent	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2001
Last Name: Zenker	First Name: Alton	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 2001
Last Name: Younan	First Name: Munib	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 2001
Last Name: Larson	First Name: Duane	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 2002
Last Name: Mkapa	First Name: Anna	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2002
Last Name: Becker	First Name: Horst	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 2003
Last Name: Borlaug	First Name: Norman	Degree: Science	Year Awarded: 2003
Last Name: Brokering	First Name: Herbert	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2004
Last Name: Solberg	First Name: David	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 2004
Last Name: Diehl	First Name: William	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2005
Last Name: Hanson	First Name: Bishop Mark	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 2005
Last Name: Janssen	First Name: Erwin	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2005
Last Name: Beckmann	First Name: David	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 2006
Last Name: Clark	First Name: Elizabeth	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2006
Last Name: Lubben	First Name: James	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2006
Last Name: Reese	First Name: Frederick	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 2006
Last Name: Freiheit	First Name: Bishop Warren	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 2007
Last Name: Schmitz	First Name: Gregory	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2007
Last Name: Wahl	First Name: Richard	Degree: Science	Year Awarded: 2008
Last Name: Kleinfeld	First Name: Gerald	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2008
Last Name: Ylvisaker	First Name: John	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2008
Last Name: Hildebrandt	First Name: Herbert	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2009
Last Name: Noble	First Name: Weston	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2009
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 2010
Last Name: Lieberknecht	First Name: Christine	Laws	Year Awarded: 2011
Last Name: Bettermann	First Name: Erik	Degree: Laws and Literature	Year Awarded: 2012
Kretzschmar	First Name: Elmer	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2013
Last Name: Geier	First Name: Philip	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2013
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 2014
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 2015
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 2016
Last Name: Bowen	First Name: Dorothy	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2017
Last Name: Johnson	First Name: Rev. Louise	Degree: Divinity	Year Awarded: 2017
Last Name: Estes	First Name: Simon	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2018
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 2019
Last Name: Davis	First Name: Shelby	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2020
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 2021
Last Name: Frank	First Name: Tony	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2022
Last Name: Salzwedel	First Name: Jack	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2022
Last Name: Koenig	First Name: Dr. Duane	Degree: Humane Letters	Year Awarded: 2023
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 2024
Last Name: None Given	First Name: –	Degree: –	Year Awarded: 2025