A Long-Term Partnership

Canadian Commentator Rick Mercer received an Honorary Degree from U of A's 22nd Chancellor Peggy Garritty in 2022. 

Science Commentator Bob McDonald received an Honorary Degree from U of A's 21st Chancellor Douglas R. Stollery in 2017. 

Olympian Clara Hughes received an Honorary Degree from U of A's 20th Chancellor Ralph Young in 2014. 

Honorary Degrees have been presented in recognition of outstanding achievements in learning, discovery, and citizenship to such notable figures as Alexander Cameron Rutherford (1908), Mother Theresa (1982), and Stephen Lewis (2016). During the term of Chancellor Tevie Miller, in 1987, librarians in Bruce Peel Special Collections began working with the Senate office to help celebrate each honorary degree by selecting a rare book that honours the recipient's interests and accomplishments. Thanks to contributions from the Senate Library Endowment Fund, honorary degree books have been purchased in recognition of the outstanding achievements of such notable figures as Bruce Peel (1991), Alistair MacLeod (2002), and Nahlah Ayed (2018). These special books have greatly enhanced the library's research collections, and they are some of the most frequently requested items in Special Collections. 

A story in the September 2019 issue of University Affairs—the magazine of Canadian university news, opinion, careers—profiles this special program: A Bookish Tribute to Honorary Degree Recipients: A Unique Endowment at the University of Alberta Funds Rare Book Acquisitions