Recipients
Honorary Degree Recipients
Honorary Degree Nominations
NNU periodically awards honorary degrees to those determined to fit the University’s criteria for such degrees. Those criteria are:
- Personal Character and Integrity.
We desire to honor recipients who represent Northwest Nazarene University’s mission and values. With a heart, soul and mind given to transformation, truth, community and service, candidates will have sought to live as God’s creative and redemptive agents in the world. We seek to honor individuals who have lived in such a way that their peers, associates and those whom they have served would celebrate with us. - Professional Achievement and Service.
We desire to honor recipients who have demonstrated outstanding stewardship of their giftedness and have made a substantial contribution that advances their field of study, profession, church or community. Honorees should be distinguished by their genuine and distinctive achievement. - University Association.
We desire to honor recipients who have a connection to Northwest Nazarene University. In the granting of an honorary degree, we understand that the individual becomes identified with the University and its broader community. With this in mind, we desire to give attention to the ways that this honor will not only reflect upon the recipient but also over time continue to reflect upon the University.

HONORARY DEGREES GRANTED BY
NORTHWEST NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
2024 | Gordon Presnell | Alumni, Coach | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2023 | Mary Curran | Faculty, Ordained elder | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2022 | William Roscoe | Entrepreneur, Pastor, Director of the Boise Rescue Mission | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2021 | David Rodes | Pastor, Trustee, Mission | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
2019 | Hugh Friberg | Pastor, Missionary | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
2017 | Jerry Caven | Layman, Businessman | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2017 | John Boyd | President, Mission Aviation Fellowship | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2015 | Cynthia Tobias | Doctor of Humane Letters | |||||
2015 | Stephen Borger | Pastor, District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
2014 | Bill Jackson | Layman, Businessman | Doctor of Science | ||||
2014 | Anna Marie Jackson | Layman | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2014 | James Jackson | Layman, Businessman | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2014 | Gene Schandorff | University Chaplain | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
2014 | Ki-Dong Han | Pastor, Dist. Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
2012 | Steve Walden | Layman, Businessman | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2011 | Bob Helstrom | Layman, Businessman | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2010 | Sergio Alberto Gutierrez | Layman, Judge, Idaho Court of Appeals | Doctor of Laws | ||||
2010 | Mark E. “Monty” Ortman | Layman, Businessman | Doctor of Laws | ||||
2009 | Randy Craker | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
2009 | Verne Ward III | Regional Director, Asia-Pacific | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
2007 | Ralph Palmen | Businessman | Doctor of Laws | ||||
2007 | Pablo Salazar | Government Leader – Mexico | Doctor of Laws | ||||
2006 | Kent Hill | Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development | Doctor of Laws | ||||
2006 | Tom Stone | School Administrator | Doctor of Fine Arts | ||||
2005 | Jerry D. Hull | Professor | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2005 | B. Edgar Johnson | Layman | Doctor of Laws | ||||
2005 | Jennifer Pavlisko | student – posthumously | |||||
2005 | Sang Don Park | Congressman/Seoul, Korea | Doctor of Laws | ||||
2004 | A.B. Ellis | Businessman | Doctor of Laws | ||||
2004 | Rev. Paulo Sueia | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
2004 | Senator Larry Craig | U.S. Senator | Doctor of Laws | ||||
2003 | Harold Thomas | Businessman/CEO | Doctor of Laws | ||||
2002 | Edwin Crawford | Professor of Philosophy | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2001 | Monte Chitwood | Financial Consultant/CPA | Doctor of Laws | ||||
2001 | Leah Peterson | Teacher | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
2000 | David Sutherland | Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery Childerns Hospital San Diego, CA | Doctor of Science | ||||
2000 | Richard Etulain | Professor of History | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
1999 | Trude L. Conrad | Administrative Assistant Colorado District Missionary President | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
1999 | Ronald K. Kratzer | District Superintendent Intermountain District | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1998 | Steven Fletcher | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
Marian B. Washburn | Professor, English | Doctor of Humane Letters | |||||
1997 | A. Elwood Sanner | Professor, Religion | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1996 | Willard Freisen | Layman, Businessman | Doctor of Fine Arts | ||||
1996 | Senator Dirk Kempthorne | U.S. Senator | Doctor of Laws | ||||
1996 | Brennan Manning | Clergyman, Author | Doctor of Humane Letters | ||||
1995 | Harmon Schmelzenbach | Retired Missionary | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
Winston Goering | Mayor, Nampa | Doctor of Laws | |||||
1994 | Hugh Smith | District Supt., Regent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1993 | Leon Wyss | District Supt., Regent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
Thomas Nees | Dir. of Comp. Minis. | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
1992 | Gerald Manker | District Supt., Regent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
Rick Hieb | Layman, Astronaut | Doctor of Science | |||||
1991 | Henry A. Ernst | Layman | Doctor of Humane | ||||
Joseph Mayfield | Faculty member, NNC | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
1990 | James Diehl | Pastor, Regent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
Gilbert Ford | Faculty member, NNC | Doctor of Laws | |||||
1988 | Ernest Boyer (in absentia) | Pres. Carnegie Found. for Advan. of Teaching | Doctor of Laws | ||||
Walter Lanman | District Supt., Regent | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
1986 | Willis Brown | Layman | Doctor of Laws | ||||
Leo Qualls | Layman, Regent | Doctor of Laws | |||||
Robert W. Sheppard | District Supt., Regent | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
1985 | J. Robert Mangum | Layman | Doctor of Laws | ||||
Hoyle Thomas | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
1980 | Leon D. Doane | Layman, Regent, Alumni President | Doctor of Laws | ||||
1978 | Carl Clendenen, Jr. | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1974 | Jerald D. Johnson | Hq. Executive | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1972 | Esperidion Julca | Minister, Peru | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
C. Griffith Bratt | Professor, BSC | Doctor of Music | |||||
Frank Church | U. S. Senator | Doctor of Laws | |||||
Raymond C. Kratzer | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
1970 | Annie Laurie Bird | Retired school teacher | Doctor of Letters | ||||
1964 | Earl E. Mosteller | Missionary | Doctor of Laws | ||||
Gordon T. Olsen | Layman, Regent | Doctor of Laws | |||||
J. Fred Parker | Hq. Executive | Doctor of Letters | |||||
G. Herbert Smith | Pres., Willamette U. | Doctor of Laws | |||||
John E. Wordsworth | Layman, Regent | Doctor of Laws | |||||
1963 | Louise R. Chapman | Retired missionary | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
Roy Stevens | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
1962 | L. Wesley Johnson | Business Manager, NNC | Doctor of Laws | ||||
Thornton S. Wiley | Layman, Regent | Doctor of Laws | |||||
1961 | M. Estes Haney | Faculty member, PC | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1959 | Mark O. Hatfield | Governor of Oregon | Doctor of Laws | ||||
1957 | Francis Sutherland | Faculty member, NNC | Doctor of Laws | ||||
1956 | W. D. McGraw, Jr. | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1955 | Arnold E. Airhart | President, CNC | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1952 | Roy E. Swim | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
E. E. Zachary | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
1951 | Fletcher Galloway | Pastor (?) | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1949 | Edward S. Mann | President, ENC | Doctor of Laws | ||||
1948 | L. J. DuBois | Hq. Executive | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1947 | B. V. Seals | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1946 | Albert F. Harper | Faculty member, ENC | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1945 | Roy H. Cantrell | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
D. I. Vanderpool | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
1942 | Hardy C. Powers | General Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
E. E. Martin | District Superintendent | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
1941 | A. B. Mackey | President, TNC | Doctor of Laws | ||||
Howard V. Miller | Faculty Member, NNC | Doctor of Divinity | |||||
1940 | Hugh C. Benner | Pastor | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1938 | E. E. Angell | Faculty member, NNC | Doctor of Divinity | ||||
1937 | Russel V. DeLong | President, NNC | Doctor of Divinity |