CCA People’s Party honors esteemed painter, printmaker, and teacher Wayne Thiebaud.

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