Ray Charles Awarded Honorary Doctorate By Wilberforce University

Clipping: from Jet magazine, 20 December 1999.

On 12 February 1999 Ray Charles was awarded an honorary doctorate in human letters from Wilberforce University in Dayton (OH) "[...] for his many years of entertaining and the role model example he set for many". Conus Archive (ID 174742) has footage of the event. Description: "Ray Charles walking in with other graduates in cap and gown; people in audience; gospel choir with woman dancer; Ray Charles". Watch it here.

For science history's and music history's sake - and because the photos are so funny, some more pictures from Ray's honorary doctorate awards:

Read more here.

Clipping: From Jet, 22 May 1990; Univerity of South Florida.

Clipping: from Jet, 27 May 2002; Albany State University.

On 12 May 1996 Ray was proclaimed honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Occidental College's, Eagle Rock, LA. Photos here.