American former comedian Bill Cosby has received 72 honorary degrees in recognition of his career in acting and comedy. 62 of these have since been revoked due to his now-overturned conviction on sexual assault charges. These include (listed in order of original awarding of degree):
Location Date School Degree Status Additional Notes Rhode Island 1985 Brown University Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) Rescinded 28 September 2015 South Carolina 1986 University of South Carolina Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 22 June 2018 Georgia 1986 Spelman College Doctorate Spelman discontinued the William and Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Endowed Professorship 24 July 2015 Connecticut 1987 Wesleyan University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 25 May 2018 Pennsylvania May 1987 Lehigh University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Rescinded 14 October 2015 District of Columbia 1989 Howard University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Degree has not been rescinded as of 2024 Actress and Howard's Dean of Fine Arts from 2021–24 Phylicia Rashad tweeted in support of Cosby in 2021, but the University distanced itself from her remarks Indiana 20 May 1990 University of Notre Dame Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Rescinded 26 April 2018 Pennsylvania 1990 University of Pennsylvania Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Rescinded 1 February 2018 Missouri 1990 University of Missouri-Columbia Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 23 June 2017 Mississippi 20 November 1990 Rust College Doctorate Pennsylvania 1991 Temple University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Rescinded 27 April 2018 Pennsylvania 1992 Drexel University Doctorate Rescinded 12 November 2015 California 1992 California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) Rescinded 18 November 2015 California 1992 Occidental CollegeDoctorate Rescinded 12 December 2015 Maine 1992 Colby College Doctor of Performing Arts Rescinded 2 May 2018 Maryland Spring 1992 University of Maryland, College Park Doctorate Rescinded 22 June 2018 Virginia 1993 College of William & Mary Master of Arts (MA) Rescinded 8 August 2018 Rhode Island May 1994 Bryant University Doctorate Rescinded 12 November 2015 Pennsylvania 1995 Muhlenberg College Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 23 October 2015 Pennsylvania 1995 Swarthmore College Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 20 November 2015 Texas 20 May 1995 Southern Methodist University Doctor of Arts (D.Arts) Rescinded 31 May 2018 New York 1 June 1995 John Jay College of Criminal Justice Doctorate Rescinded 23 November 2015 Massachusetts 1996 Boston College Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 27 April 2018 Pennsylvania May 1996 Lafayette College Doctorate Rescinded 28 April 2018 Connecticut 18 May 1996 University of Connecticut Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) Rescinded 29 June 2016 Pennsylvania 1997 Gettysburg College Doctorate Rescinded 4 May 2018 District of Columbia 1997 George Washington University Doctor of Humanities Rescinded 11 January 2016 Illinois 1997 Northwestern University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 18 June 2018 New York 1997 New York University Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) Rescinded 21 June 2018 California 8 May 1998 University of Southern California Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) Rescinded 1 May 2018 Virginia 9 May 1998 Old Dominion University Doctorate Maryland 17 May 1998 University of Maryland Eastern Shore Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 22 June 2018 California 1998 Pepperdine University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Rescinded (unannounced date) South Carolina May 1999 Claflin University Doctorate Rescinded 22 June 2018 New York 22 May 1999 Colgate University Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) Rescinded 1 October 2016 Massachusetts 1999 Amherst College Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 17 October 2015 Massachusetts 2000 Tufts University Doctor of Arts (D.Arts) Rescinded 15 October 2015 Pennsylvania May 2000 Franklin & Marshall College Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 19 October 2015 New York 2000 Fashion Institute of Technology Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 2 May 2018 South Carolina 2000 Medical University of South Carolina Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 18 May 2018 New York 2001 Fordham University Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) Rescinded 24 September 2015 Maryland 2001 Goucher College Doctorate Rescinded 15 October 2015 Ohio 2001 Ohio State University Doctor of Education (D.Ed.) Rescinded 6 April 2018 Ohio 2001 University of Cincinnati Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 8 May 2018 Delaware 2001 Delaware State University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) New York 12 May 2001 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Doctorate Rescinded 18 May 2018 New Jersey May 2002 Drew University Doctorate Rescinded 23 October 2015 Massachusetts 2002 Springfield College Doctor of Humanics Rescinded 25 October 2015 Pennsylvania 2002 University of Pittsburgh Doctorate Rescinded 13 November 2015 Pennsylvania May 2002 Haverford College Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 6 February 2016 New York 2002 Cooper Union Doctorate Rescinded 28 April 2018 New York 2002 Juilliard School Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 28 April 2018 North Carolina 19 May 2003 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Rescinded 30 May 2018 Connecticut 26 May 2003 Yale University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 1 May 2018 Georgia 2003 Paine College Doctorate South Dakota 2003 Sisseton Wahpeton College Doctorate Virginia 2003 Hampton University Doctorate Texas 4 September 2003 Baylor University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 8 October 2015 Pennsylvania 2003 West Chester University of Pennsylvania Doctorate Rescinded 30 April 2018 Massachusetts 8 May 2004 Berklee College of Music Doctor of Music (D.Mus.) Rescinded 24 March 2016 Maryland 2004 Johns Hopkins University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 26 April 2018 Pennsylvania May 2004 Wilkes University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 2 October 2015 Pennsylvania 20 May 2007 Carnegie Mellon University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 26 April 2018 North Carolina 2008 North Carolina A&T State University Doctor of Humanities Rescinded 27 April 2018 Virginia 5 December 2008 Virginia Commonwealth University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 7 December 2018 Ohio 1 May 2010 Oberlin College Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 4 December 2015 Alabama 7 May 2011 Miles College Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) California 18 May 2012 University of San Francisco Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) Rescinded 25 September 2015 Texas 5 May 2013 Paul Quinn College Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Wisconsin 19 May 2013 Marquette University Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) Rescinded 24 September 2015 Maryland 21 May 2013 University of Baltimore Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 22 June 2018 Massachusetts 18 May 2014 Boston University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) Rescinded 10 December 2015
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