Six to receive honorary degrees from Washington University Two Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, gun safety activist, former senator, medical researcher and legal historian being recognized May 5, 2021 SHARE Washington University in St. Louis will award six honorary degrees during the university’s Commencement ceremonies, May 20-21. The university also will bestow academic degrees on approximately 3,200 members of the Class of 2021 during its 160th Commencement. National Basketball Association great and social justice advocate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will deliver theCommencement address and receive an honorary doctor of humanities degree. The other honorary degree recipients and their degrees are: Christopher S. “Kit” Bond, the former U.S. senator who earned a reputation over his 40 years of distinguished public service as a skilled statesman able to build coalitions and effectively work across party lines, doctor of laws;