1960 – Present
* Denotes Commencement Speaker
- *Margeret Carter – Oregon State Legislature
- *Tjada D'Oyen McKenna – Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps
- Roger Hull – Independent arts writer, curator and professor
- John B. Cobb Jr. – American philosopher, theologian, and environmentalist
- *Rev. Dr. Karen Wood– University Chaplain
- *Jocelyn Bell Burnell – Astrophysicist from Northern Ireland
- Punit Renjen MM ‘86 – CEO of Deloitte Global
- *Thomas M. Lauderdale – Musician, founder of Pink Martini
- Hazel Patton – Community leader, activist and historic preservationist
- Theodore R. Kulongoski – 36th governor of Oregon
- *Leonard Pitts Jr. – Author, Columnist
- Delores "Dee" Pigsley – Chair, Confederated Tribes of the Siletz
- Gerry Frank – Community leader, Philanthropist
- *Kate Brown – Governor, State of Oregon
- Symeon Symeonides – Alex L. Parks Distinguished Professor of Law and Dean Emeritus at Willamette’s College of Law
- Marie Watt – Portland-based mixed media artist
- *Jane Lubchenco – Marine ecologist and environmental scientist
- William Swindells – Business and community leader
- *Taylor Branch – Author and historian
- Kathryn Jones Harrison – Tribal leader and community activist
- *Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan – Scientist, first woman to walk in space
- Paul J. De Muniz JD ’75 – Retired Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
- *Dr. Gloria Rodriguez – Founder, national president and CEO of AVANCE, Inc.
- Justin Rattner – Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Intel Corporation
- Dr. Joseph Hooton Taylor, Jr. ’61 – American Astrophysicist
- *Bill Nye- Scientist, engineer, comedian, author and inventor
- Deborah Bial – President and founder of The Posse Foundation
- Wendy Doniger – Professor of the History of Religions at the University of Chicago
- Dale T. Mortensen ’61 – Economists
- Nobuyasu Kurata – Chair and chancellor of the Kaneko Educational Foundation
- *Scott Simon – NPR Host, Writer & Novelist
- Sara Hrdy – Anthropologist
- Dr. Robert Langer – Scientist/Engineer
- *Juan Williams – journalist; HD of Humane Letters
- Bernice Johnson Reagon – singer/composer; HD of Humane Letters
- Timothy Egan – writer/author; HD of Humane Letters
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg – U.S. Supreme Court Justice; HD of Laws (presented fall 2008)
2008
- *Helen Vendler – poetry critic; HD of Humane Letters
- Wally Carson JD’62 – Oregon Supreme Court Justice; HD of Laws
2007
- *Libby Appel – Oregon Shakespeare Festival, artistic director; HD of Fine Arts
- Carl Wieman – physicist, Nobel Prize winner; HD of Science
- Dan O’Neill – Mercy Corps founder; HD of Humane Letters
- Cao Jianming – vice president of the People’s Supreme Court, China; HD of Laws
2006
- *S. Allen Counter – scientist, humanitarian; HD of Science
- Gertrude Boyle – business woman; HD of Humane Letters
- Rafe Esquith – educator; HD of Humane Letters
- Catherine Reynolds – philanthropist; HD of Humane Letters
2005
- *Wangari Maathai – 2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient; HD of Humane Letters
- Bob Edwards – journalist; HD of Public Service
- William Schulz – human rights advocate; HD of Human Letters
- Wilma Mankiller – Native American leader; HD of Public Service
2004
- *Levardis Burton – actor, literary advocate; HD of Fine Arts
- Henry Louis Gates Jr. – academic; HD of Humane Letters
- William Webber – philanthropist; HD of Public Service
- Ann Rule – author; HD of Humane Letters
2003
- *Rev. Dr. Peter J. Gomes – reverend; HD of Divinity
- Helen Thomas – journalist; HD of Humane Letters
- Richard Read – journalist; HD of Humane Letters
- Archbishop Desmond Tutu – world leader; HD of Divinity (presented spring 2003)
2002
- *Martha Nussbaum – author; HD of Humane Letters
- James Cuno ’73 – art curator; HD of Fine Arts
- Robert Hirshon – lawyer; HD of Laws
2001
- *William Sloane Coffin – reverend/activist; HD of Divinity
- Lillian Cingo – medical activist; HD of Public Service
- Grace Paley – author; HD of Humane Letters
2000
- *Millard Fuller – humanitarian; HD of Humane Letters
- Bill Wassmuth – human rights activist; HD of Humane Letters
- Dr. Mae Jemison – astronaut; HD of Science
- Dr. Frank Bash ’59 – scientist; HD of Science
1999
- *Myrlie Evers-Williams – civil rights activist; HD of Humane Letters
- Chai Ling – political activist; HD of Laws
- Bill L’58 & Norma L’62 Paulus – philanthropists; HD of Public Service
- Arthur Mitchell – dancer; HD of Fine Arts
1998
- *Hon. Robert “Bob” Smith – politician; HD of Laws
- Warne Nunn ’41 – businessman; HD of Humane Letters
- Katsuyasu Kato – academic/fundraiser; HD of Business Administration
1997
- *Jerry Hudson – Willamette president; HD of Humane Letters
1996
- *Alex Mandl ’67 – businessman; HD of Business Administration
- Hallie Brown Ford – philanthropist/trustee; HD of Arts
1995
- *John Kitzhaber – governor; HD of Public Service
1994
- *Dr. Julius S. Scott Jr. – academic; HD of Humane Letters
- Caroline Glassman L’44 – justice; HD of Laws
- Sho Masujima – businessman; HD of Business Administration
1993
- *Mark O. Hatfield ’43 – politician; HD of Laws
- Maribeth Collins – philanthropist
- Tony Lee Hopson ’77 – community leader
- Taul Watanabe ’41 – attorney/philanthropist
1992
- *Barbara Roberts – governor; HD of Laws
- Hieda Hisashi – businessman; HD of Communication Arts
- Roger Ireson – reverend; HD of Divinity
1991
- *Thomas R. Pickering - Representative to the UN HD Laws
1990
- *Ancil H. Payne: businessman HD Communication Arts
- Leontine Turpeau Current Kelly: Bishop HD Divinity
1989
- *Robert Allen Skotheim: Director of Huntington Library HD Fine Arts
- Robert W. Chandler: Editor HD Journalism
1988
- *David B. Frohnmayer: Attorney General for the State of Oregon HD Laws
- William B. Smullin: HD Humane Letters
- Cecil L. Edwards: Oregon State Legislator Historian HD Public Service
1987
- *James DePreist: Music Director of the Oregon Symphony HD Fine Arts
- Marion Morange: Professor HD Romantic Literature
1986
- *Thomas A. Bartlett: Chancellor of University of Alabama System HD Laws
- Fred H. Paulus: HD Public Service
1985
- *Frank Murkowski: US Senator (Alaska) HD Laws
- Kenneth V. Mackenzie: Physicist HD Science
- Grace Collins Goudy: HD Humane Letters
1984
- *Norma Paulus: Oregon Secretary of State
- Harvey N. Black: Lawyer HD Laws
- Manley Strayer: Jurisprudence degree HD Laws
- Paul G. Trueblood: HD Letters
1983
- *Douglas H. Bosco: Congressman
- Kenneth J. O’Connell HD Laws
- Otto Richard Skopil Jr. HD Laws
1982
- *Warne Nunn: Chairman Willamette University Board of Trustees
1981
- *Victor G. Atiyeh: Governor of the State of Oregon
1980
- *William Boyd – president, University of Oregon
1979
- *William Stafford – poet laureate
1978
- *Shirley Schlanger Abrahamson – Supreme Court justice, Wisconsin
1977
- *Leonard Rice – president, Oregon College of Education
1976
- *Harlan Cleveland – humanitarian
1975
- *Mary Eyre ’18 – teacher
1974
- *Tom Lawson McCall – governor
1973
- *Dr. Robert Clark – president, University of Oregon
1972
- *Daniel Schorr – journalist, CBS News
1971
- *Walter Hickel – politician
1970
- *Robert Burns – educator/author/businessman
1969
- *Robert Packwood ’54 – senator
1968
- *Kenneth Dale McCormick ’28 – publisher
1967
- *Mark O. Hatfield ’43 – senator
1966
- *James Franklin Oates Jr. – businessman
1965
- *Robert Marion Syre: Dep. Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs Department of State
1964
- *Charles Kent Mills: businessman
1963
- *Roy Elwayne Lieuallen: Chancellor, State system of Higher Education
1962
- *Charles Harting Percy: businessman
1961
- *William Tyrone Gillespie: businessman
1960
- *Ivan Bertis White ’29 – politician