Honorary Degrees
The Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters is awarded by the Board of Regents to individuals distinguished by their national or international reputations or accomplishments in scholarship, public service, profession, industry or other areas.
on awarding of honorary degrees.
2023 Recipients
- Kumu Edith Kekuhikuhipu‘uoneonaali‘iokohala Kenao Kanaka‘ole, Contributions to the revitalization of Hawaiian language and culture
- Kumu Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett, Contributions to Hawaiian music and hula, and promotion of Hawaiian culture and arts
- Kumu Jerald Kimo Alama Keaulana, Contributions as an historian, educator, leader, kumu hula and advocate for the Hawaiian arts, language, culture and history
2022 Recipient
- Chef Tylun Pang, contributions to UHMC culinary program
2019 Recipients
- President Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States
- General Eric Shinseki, public servant and military commander
2017 Recipient
- Richard R. Clifton, judge
2016 Recipient
- Charles Nainoa Thompson, navigator
2015 Recipients
- Robert Masuda, public servant
- Martha Nussbaum, professor of law and philosophy and author
- Thomas Ervin Moffatt, Lifetime commitment and work in the entertainment industry for the state of Hawai‘i
- U Than Oo, Education leader in Myanmar
- Henk Brouwer Rogers, Lifetime commitment to the environment
2014 Recipients
- Richard Kekuni Blaisdell, Lifetime commitment to Native Hawaiian health
2013 Recipients
- Edward “Eddie” Leilani Kamae, Musician and filmmaker
2012 Recipients
- Daniel Akaka, Former United States Senator
- Haruki Murakami, writer
- W.S. Merwin, Poet Laureate
2011 Recipients
- Shinichi Maehara, Okinawan scholar
- Gordon E. Moore, Intel Corp founder
2010 Recipients
- Patti Lyons, family and child advocate
- Dale Chihuly, glass artist
- Bernard and Barbro Osher, community leaders
2009 Recipients
- Abigail Kawananakoa, cultural preservationist
- Jerry Yang, search engine co-founder
- Agnes Cope, culture and health advocate
- Albert Wendt, educator and writer
2006 Recipients
- Shen Xiaomei, Jingju master
- Tommy Lasorda, baseball great
2005 Recipients
- Pualani Kanahele, kumu hula
- Genoa Keawe, legendary Hawaiian musician
- Kaoru Kashiwagi, Japanese attorney
2004 Recipients
- Earl E. Bakken, pioneer pacemaker designer
- David C. Cole, executive and environmentalist
- Charles K. Nishioka, self-made businessperson
2003 Recipients
- Henry Kuualoha Giugni, Congressional figure
- Richard Dean Parsons, AOL Time Warner CEO
2002 Recipients
- Marcel Marceau, French mime
- Elizabeth M. Birch, civil rights advocate
- Robert R. Midkiff, businessman/philanthropist
2001 Recipient
- Edward G. Seidensticker, Japan scholar
2000
- Kim Dae Jung, president of South Korea and Nobel Prize winner
1990–1999
- Lech Walesa, human rights supporter, former Poland president and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, 1999
- Toshiko Takaezu, master potter, 1993
- Thomas Yagi, 1993
- Monsignor Charles Kekumano, priest, 1993
- Richard Wong, state senator, Bishop Estate trustee, 1993
- Robert Oshiro, co-founder, Hawai‘i Democratic Party and state legislator, 1993
- Calvin Sia, Kapiolani Medical Center trustee, 1992
- Betty Vitousek, Family Court judge, 1992
- Danny Kaleikini, entertainer, 1991
- Alfred Preis, founder, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, 1991
- Masaru Pundy Yokouchi, chair, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, 1991
- Hubert Everly, dean emeritus, 麻豆传媒College of Education, 1991
- Ralph Kosaki, superintendent of education, 1991
- Shimeji Kanazawa, Kuakini Health System trustee, 1990
- Saburo Okita, chair, Institute for Domestic and International Policy Studies, 1990
- Lloyd R. Vasey, founder, Pacific Forum, 1990
- William Fulbright, U.S. senator, 1990
1980–1989
- Herbert C. Cornuelle, James Campbell Estate trustee, 1989
- Hung Wai Ching, retired businessman, 1989
- Dai Ho Chun, retired educator, 1989
- Kan Jung Luke, chairman, Hawai‘i National Bank, 1989
- Edward Nakamura, Supreme Court associate justice, 1988 (DH)
- Ah Quon McElrath, social worker, 1988 (DH)
- Soedjatmoko, United Nations University rector, 1988 (DH)
- Yehan Numata, founder, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, 1988 (DH)
- Kenneth F. Brown, architect, former legislator, 1987 (DH)
- Beatrice Krauss, ethnobotanist, 1987 (DH)
- Mau Piailug, navigator and explorer, 1987 (DH)
- Claude DuTeil, founder and head, Institute for Human Services, 1987 (DH)
- Bhumibol Adulyadej, king of Thailand, 1986 (DH)
- Robert J. Pfeiffer, chairman and CEO, Alexander & Baldwin, 1986 (DH)
- George R. Ariyoshi, governor of Hawai‘i, 1986 (DH)
- D. Carleton Gajdusek, laboratory chief, National Institutes of Health, 1986 (DH)
- George Fukunaga, chairman, Servco Pacific, 1985
- Wallace Fujiyama, attorney, 1985
- Baron Goto, 1985
- Masaji Marumoto, justice, 1985
- Allen Neuharth, chairman and CEO, Gannett Company, 1985
- Mike Mansfield, ambassador, 1983 (DH)
- Chinn Ho, businessman, 1983 (DH)
- Soshitsu Sen, grand tea master, 1983 (DH)
- Spark M. Matsunaga, U.S. senator, 1983 (LD)
- John D. Bellinger, chairman, First Hawaiian Bank, 1982 (LLD)
- Arthur Joseph Goldberg, justice, 1982 (LLD)
- Richard K. Lyman Jr., Bishop Estate trustee, 1982 (LLD)
- MasayukiTokioka, businessman, 1982 (LLD)
- Emma Farden Sharpe, educator, 1981
- Gladys Aiona Brandt. educator, 1981
- Abraham K. Akaka, pastor, Kawaiahao Church, 1980 (HHD)
1970–1979
- Daniel K. Inouye, U.S. senator, 1979 (LLD)
- Yasunari Kawabata, Nobel Prize in Literature, 1970 (LittD)
- Earl Warren, former chief justice, U.S. Supreme Court, 1970 (LLD)
1960–1969
- Georg Von Bekesy, 麻豆传媒Hawaiian Telephone Co. Chair in Science and Nobel Prize winner, 1969 (LLD)
- Hubert H. Humphrey, U.S. vice president, 1966 (LLD)
- Ferdinand Marcos, Philippines president, 1966 (LLD)
- John Anthony Burns, governor of Hawai‘i, 1964 (LLD)
- Taizo Ishikawa, Japanese businessman, 1964 (LLD)
- Clark Kerr, University of California president, 1964 (LLD)
- Diosdado Macapagal, president of The Philippines, 1964 (LLD)
- Joseph Francis C. Rock, botanist, 1962 (DSc)
- David Timmins Fullaway, entomologist, 1962 (DSc)
- Robert Leavitt Cushing, PRI, 1962 (DSc)
- Leonard David Baver, Hawaii Sugar Planters Association, 1962 (DSc)
- Herbert A. R. Austin, 1962 (DSc)
- Arturo Frondizi, president of Argentina, 1962 (LLD)
- Philip E.Spalding, 麻豆传媒regent (chair), 1961 (LLD)
- Charles H. Edmondson, 麻豆传媒professor emeritus, 1961 (DSc)
- Lyndon B. Johnson, U.S. vice president, 1961 (LLD)
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, former U.S. president, 1960 (LLD)
- James H. Shoemaker, Bank of Hawai‘i, 1960 (LLD)
- Mary K. Pukui, Bishop Museum, 1960 (DLitt)
- Max Levine, 麻豆传媒research associate, 1960 (DSc)
President Harry Truman receiving degree, 1953
1950–1959
- Daisetz T. Suzuki, Japan author, 1959 (LLD)
- Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, vice president of India, 1959 (LHD)
- Hu Shih, ambassador to U.S., 1959 (HHD)
- Alexander Spoehr, Bishop Museum, 1959 (DSc)
- Arthur E. Orvis, retired industrialist, 1959 (HHD)
- Albert J. Mangelsdorf, Hawaii Sugar Planters Association, 1959 (LHD)
- Robert P. Griffing Jr., director, Honolulu Academy of Arts, 1959 (DFA)
- Raymond Coll, Editor, Honolulu Advertiser, 1959 (LittD)
- Mayling S. Chiang, Chinese intellectual, 1959 (LLD)
- Riley H. Allen, editor, Honolulu Star Bulletin, 1959 (LittD)
- Fred A. Seaton, U.S. secretary of interior, 1959 (LLD)
- Felix B. Stump, CINPAC administrator, 1958 (LLD)
- David L. Crawford, 麻豆传媒president emeritus, 1957 (LLD)
- Carlos P. Garcia, Philippines president, 1957 (LHD)
- Ezra T. Benson, U.S. secretary of agriculture, 1956 (LLD)
- Ralph S. Kuykendall, 麻豆传媒historian, 1956 (LHD)
- Gregg M. Sinclair, 麻豆传媒president emeritus, 1956 (HHD)
- Walter F. Dillingham, president, O.R. & L., 1955 (LLD)
- Carlos P. Romulo, ambassador to U.S., 1955 (LHD)
- Harry David Gideonse, president, Brooklyn University, 1955 (HHD)
- Mme. Vijaya Lakshmi, Indian intellectual, 1954 (HHD)
- Charles F. Chillingworth, legislator, 1954 (LLD)
- George Barati, conductor, Symphony Orchestra, 1954 (DMus)
- Arthur H. Sulzberger, editor, New York Times, 1954 (HHD)
- Samuel W. King, governor of Hawai‘i, 1953 (LLD)
- Louis M. 腍acker, dean, Columbia, 1953 (LLD)
- Hiram L. Fong, legislator, 1953 (LLD)
- Adna G. Clarke, ROTC, alumni secretary, 1953 (LLD)
- Harry S. Truman, U.S. president, 1953 (HHD)
- Milburn L.Wilson, director, U.S. Extension, 1953 (HHD)
- Frederick Ohrt, Department of Water Supply, 1952 (DSc)
- Oren E. Long, Superintendent, DPI, 1952 (LLD)
- Colin G. Lennox, Department of Agriculture, 1952 (DSc)
- Rufus C. Harris, president, Tulane University, 1952 (DCL)
- Elbert D. Thomas, high commissioner, Trust Territory, 1951 (LLD)
- Cyril E. Pemberton, Hawai‘i Sugar Planters Association, 1951 (DSc)
- Leslie A. Hicks, president, Hawaiian Electric Co., 1951
- Daniel L. Marsh, president, Boston University, 1951 (HHD)
- Oliver C. Carmichael, university president, 1950 (LHD)
1940–1949
- Mary D. Frear, 麻豆传媒regent, 1943 (DLitt)
- Arthur R. Keller, 麻豆传媒administrator, 1942 (DSc)
1930–1939
- George G. Wilson, Harvard professor, 1937 (LLD)
- Walter F. Frear, governor of Hawai‘i, 1937 (LLD)
- Alexander Meiklejohn, president, Amherst, 1937 (LLD)
- Helen S. Carter, patron, 1937 (MA)
- C. Montague Cooke, Bishop Museum, 1936 (DSc)
- Edwin R. Embree, Rosenwald Foundation, 1936 (DLitt)
- Col. Allen W. Guillon, U.S. Army, 1934 (LLD)
- Margaret Bergen, 麻豆传媒professor, 1934 (MA)
- Nell Findley, department head, 1933 (MA)
- Stanley D. Porteus, Psychology Clinic director, 1933 (DSc)
- Edward M. Ehrhorn, Board of Water Supply, 1932 (MS)
- Tatsuki Harada, president, Doshisa University, 1932 (LLD)
- Anna C. Cooke, art patron, 1931 (MA)
- Ethel M. Damon, author, 1931 (MA)
- Thomas G. Thrum, author and editor, 1931 (MA)
1919–1929
- Frederick E. Muir, Hawai‘i Sugar Planters Association, 1924 (DSc)
- G. Howard Hitchcock, painter, 1924 (MA)
- Gerrit Wilder, 麻豆传媒professor, 1924 (MS)
- Frederick Krauss, 麻豆传媒professor, 1921 (DSc)
- Sanford B. Dole, governor of Hawai‘i, 1919 (LLD)
- Marion M. Scott, DPI, 1919
Honorary Degree Conferee
Chef Tylun Pang
Conferred May 14, 2022
Born on O‘ahu, Chef Pang inherited a love for cooking and fresh ingredients from his father, mother, and grandmothers, who often shopped in Honolulu's Chinatown and shared meals with family and friends. After graduating from high school, he completed a Westin Hotels Culinary Apprenticeship Program in Waikiki and moved to Los Angeles as an opening team member for the Bonaventure Hotel, where he honed his abilities in classic European cuisine.
Upon returning to Hawai‘i, Chef Pang served as Executive Chef at the Ilikai Hotel before being transferred to Kauai. In November 1996, he settled on Maui, where he became Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at The Fairmont Kea Lani, overseeing the resort's restaurants, bars, bakery, and deli.
It was on Maui where Chef Pang gained a worldwide reputation for developing a plantation inspired cuisine that combined elements from many different cultures — Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Filipino, Korean, Puerto Rican, and others. He helped preserve knowledge of traditional cooking methods and recipes while experimenting with new combinations and flavors to create a unique local fusion cuisine. He also fostered a community of like-minded chefs, whom he befriended and whose talent she often highlighted.
Chef Pang was an early and consistent proponent of the “Buy Local” and farm-to-table movements, which emphasize the support of local farms and farmers; serving of fresh, locally-sourced food in homes and restaurants; and the promotion of sustainable and environmentally responsible agricultural practices. Chef Pang has always believed, and taught, that using local, sustainably grown ingredients not only makes good economic and environmental sense, it also just tastes better. He especially admired Hawaii‘s fishermen and the preparation of dishes that showcase island seafood.
Over the years, Chef Pang's career and reputation has taken him to Asia, South America, and numerous cities in the United States. He participated in the Best Hotel Chefs of America Series at the James Beard House in New York City, which honors and celebrates chefs who have made America's food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable. He also garnered many awards for his talent and contributions to the food and hospitality industry and community. These awards include: 2013 Local Hero Award from Edible Hawaiian Islands magazine; 2014 ‘Aipono Award for Lifetime Achievement from Maui No Ka ‘Oi magazine; 2018 Best Chef designation from The Maui News; 2019 Na Poe Pa‘ahana Award for Chef/Restauranteur of the Year from the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association; and 2019 Mike Lyons Award from the Maui County Farm Bureau.
Chef Pang has also long supported youth and young adults in the culinary arts, serving as a mentor to people in various stages of their career. He has been a member of the Advisory Committee for the Maui Culinary Academy and supported the training of many local chefs who now workthroughout Hawai‘i and the world.
Chef Pang created the Noble Chef program as a fundraiser for the UHMC Culinary Arts Program in 2002. The event has been held annually since then and has raised over a million dollars for the UHMC Culinary Arts Program. Since 2012, proceeds have helped fund the Future Culinarian Scholarship and the Tylun Pang Aspiring Chef Scholarship programs. Each year through these programs Chef Pang awarded one student a $5,000 academic scholarship and mentored the student in a semester internship, which culminated in an original student-created dish that was then served at one of the Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui, restaurants. To date, eleven students have received such scholarships for a total of $55,000 in awards.
Chef Pang's contributions to the Hawai‘i food industry are significant and have had national implications — buy and grow local. But his most significant contribution has been to the Maui community through innovative fundraising for UHMC and mentoring experiences that are one of a kind and unique.