Year Awarded Honoree Degree Awarded
2022 Br. Michael A. Perry, O.F.M. Doctor of Humane Letters
  Kenneth M. Raymond, Jr. Doctor of Humane Letters
  Martin Luther King III Doctor of Humane Letters
2021 Condoleezza Rice, Ph.D. Doctor of Humane Letters
  Susan Law Dake Doctor of Humane Letters
2020 Br. F. Edward Coughlin Doctor of Humane Letters
  Dr. Carolyn Woo Doctor of Humane Letters
2019 Kate (Strang) Gutmann '90 Doctor of Humane Letters
2018 Gerald M. DeFrancisco '68 Doctor of Humane Letters
2017    
2016 Douglas T. Hickey '77 Doctor of Humanities
2015 Sr. Mary Beth Ingham, CSJ, Ph.D. Doctor of Humane Letters
  Jeffrey R. Immelt Doctor of Humanities
2014    
2013 The Honorable Mae A. D'Agostino '77 Doctor of Laws
  Walter T. Kicinski '62 Doctor of Humane Letters
  John J. Nigro Doctor of Humane Letters
2012 Derek S. Jeter Doctor of Humane Letters
  Virginia Kraft Payson Doctor of Humane Letters
  Joseph M. Pastore, Jr., Ph.D. Doctor of Humane Letters
2011 Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. Doctor of Humane Letters
  Ralph F. Perez Doctor of Humane Letters
  Diane Ravitch, Ph.D. Doctor of Humane Letters
2010 Edmund D. Pellegrino, M.D. Doctor of Humane Letters
  Ambassador Andrew J. Young Doctor of Humane Letters
2009 Sister Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D. Doctor of Humane Letters
  Father John M. Felice, O.F.M. Doctor of Humane Letters
  The Honorable Victoria A. Graffeo Doctor of Laws
  Reverend Robert C. Lamar, D.D. Doctor of Humane Letters
  Robert J. Paeglow, M.D. Doctor of Humane Letters
2008 James J. Barba, Esq. '66 Doctor of Humane Letters
  Immaculѐe Ilibagiza Doctor of Humane Letters
2007 Robert A. McCormick
Doctor of Commercial Science
  Dan Rather
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Helen Thomas
Doctor of Humane Letters
2006 Frank DeFord Doctor of Humane Letters
  Soledad O'Brien
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Reverend Peter G. Young '53
Doctor of Humane Letters
2005 The Honorable Jack Quinn '73
Doctor of Laws
  Timothy Russert
Doctor of Letters
  Barbara Taylor Bradford
Doctor of Letters
  Gino Turchi
Doctor of Humane Letters
2004 Joyce F. Brown, Ph.D.
Doctor of Letters
  J. Spencer Standish
Doctor of Science
  Patricia Hunter Standish
Doctor of Letters
2003 Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.
Doctor of Sacred Theology
  Robert J. & Anne L. Higgins
Doctor of Musical Arts
  Karen J. Mathis, Esq. Doctor of Laws
  Kenneth T. Lally
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Thelma P. Lally
Doctor of Humane Letters
2002 John J. Breyo, Jr. '68
Doctor of Laws
  Jean Bethke Elshtain Doctor of Letters
  Fr. Mychal Judge, O.F.M.
Doctor of Humane Letters
2001 Steve Forbes
Doctor of Laws
  Carmela G. Lacayo
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Robert Lanier
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Robert L. Nardelli
Doctor of Letters
2000 Mary Higgins Clark
Doctor of Letters
  Archbishop Roberto O. Gonzalez, O.F.M. '72
Doctor of Sacred Theology
  Kenneth F. Hackett
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Kenneth L. Woodward Doctor of Letters
1999 Most Reverend Giacomo Bini
Doctor of Sacred Theology
  The Honorable Joseph L. Bruno
Doctor of Laws
  Johnnetta B. Cole, Ph.D.
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Michael E. DeBakey, M.D.
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Jerome R. McDougal, Jr.
Doctor of Humane Letters
1998 Beverly A. Carroll
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Sister Elizabeth A. Johnson, C.S.J.
Doctor of Sacred Theology
  Governor George E. Pataki
Doctor of Laws
  General John W. Pauly
Doctor of Civil Laws
1997 Mary d’Ablemont
Doctor of Letters
  Robert J. Danzig, Litt.D. '62
Doctor of Letters
  Louis Dupre
Doctor of Laws
  Irena A. Dyrcz-Freeman
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Theodore Forstmann
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Mary Gordon
Doctor of Laws
1996 Sister Janet Carroll
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Frederick G. Field, Jr.
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Doctor of Laws
1995 Amb. Thomas J. Dodd  
1994 Harolyn Blackwell
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Neva Mahoney
Doctor of Humane Letters
1993 The Honorable Michael R. McNulty (U.S. House of Representatives) Doctor of Laws
1992 The Honorable Judith S. Kaye (Associate Judge, New York State Court of Appeals) Doctor of Laws
1991 Pat Carroll (Actress) Doctor of Fine Arts
  Sister Ellen Lawlor, R.S.M. (Community Leader) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Hugh N. Maclean, Ph.D. (Distinguished Professor) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Reverend John Vaughn, O.F.M. (Minister General of the Franciscan Order) Doctor of Sacred Theology
1990 Betty B. Crummey (Community Leader) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Robert Macauley (Director, AmeriCares) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Dr. G. Dennis O'Brien (President, University of Rochester) Doctor of Humane Letters
1989 Simone Estes (Bass-Baritone, International Opera Singer) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn '56 (Bishop of Lafayette) Doctor of Sacred Theology
  Fr. Hugh F. Hines, O.F.M. (President, Siena College) Doctor of Humane Letters
1988 Sister Brigid Driscoll, R.S.H.M. (President, Marymount College) Doctor of Education
  Raymond C. Kennedy (Trustee Emeritus & Chairman, Kendall Holdings, Inc.) Doctor of Humane Letters
1987 Charles & Thelma Buchman (Founders of Siena College Jewish/Christian Institute) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Sister Nancy Chiarello, O.S.F. (Founder of The Dwelling Place) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Most Reverend Matthew H. Clark (Bishop of Rochester) Doctor of Sacred Theology
  Reverend Stephen Hardegen Doctor of Sacred Theology
  Peter M. Pryor, Esq. '52 Doctor of Laws
  Nikos Psacharopoulos (Founder and Director, Williamstown Playhouse) Doctor of Fine Arts
1986 The Honorable Alphones M. D'Amato (United States Senator) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Coretta Scott King
Doctor of Laws
  Peter F. McCarthy (President of McCarthy Foundation and Civic Leader) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Norman S. Rice (Director, Albany Institute of History and Art) Doctor of Fine Arts
1985 Kathryn L. Foy (Attorney at Law, DeGraff, Foy, Conway, Holt-Harris & Mealey) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Harry R. Horvitz (President and Publisher, Horvitz Newspapers, Inc.) Doctor of Letters
  Reverend Richard McCormick, S.J. (Professor of Christian Ethics, Georgetown University) Doctor of Humane Letters
1984 Matilda R. Cuomo (First Lady of the State of New York) Doctor of Humane Letters
  William J. Kennedy, Jr. '49 (Distinguished Author) Doctor of Literature
  Bishop Graham D. Leonard Doctor of Sacred Theology
  Dr. Louis L. Martz (Serling Professor of English, Yale University) Doctor of Letters
1983 The Honorable C. George Deukmejian '49 (Governor of the State of California) Doctor of Laws
  Dr. Mary Beth Norton (American History Scholar, Cornell University) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Maureen O'Sullivan (Stage and Film Actress) Doctor of Fine Arts
1982 Bobby Orr (Distinguished Athlete) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Lillemor T. Robb (Chairwoman of Student Affairs Committee of the Siena College Board of Trustees, and Distinguished Civic Leader) Doctor of Laws
1981 Matthew T. Conlin, O.F.M. Doctor of Laws
  Paulo Evaristo, Cardinal Arns, O.F.M. (Roman Catholic Archbishop, Sao Paulo, Brazil) Doctor of Sacred Theology
  Arlo Guthrie Doctor of Fine Arts
  Margaret Brainard Hamilton (Internationally known Stage, Screen and Television Actress) Doctor of Arts
  Bernard F. Picotte (Founder and Chairman of the Boards, Picotte Companies, and Distinguished Civic Leader) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Joseph A. Reagan, Jr. '50 (President, Reagan/Compar Inc., and Distinguished Alumnus and Civic Leader) Doctor of Science
1980 The Honorable Charles D. Breitel (Retired Chief Judge, New York State Court of Appeals) Doctor of Laws
  Rev. Msgr. George Higgins
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Jeanne Jugan (Foundress, Little Sisters of the Poor) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Oliver A. Laakso (Chairman of the board, Kamyr, Inc. (retired) and Civic Leader) Doctor of Letters
  Richard P. Lindstrom
Doctor of Humane Letters
  Woods McCahill
Doctor of Laws
1979 The Honorable James T. Foley (Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York) Doctor of Laws
  Helen Hayes MacArthur (First Lady of the Theater and Humanitarian) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Benedict M. Taylor, O.F.M. (Franciscan Friar and Founder of the Project Create) Doctor of Sacred Theology
1978 Sister Maureen Joyce, R.S.M. (Director, Community Maternity Services, Diocese of Albany) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Everett C. Reed (Chairman of the Board, Albany International) Doctor of Science
  Gene Sarazen (Professional Golfer) Doctor of Humane Letters
1977 The Honorable Hugh L. Carey (Governor, New York State) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Erastus Corning, II (Mayor, City of Albany) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Most Reverend Howard J. Hubbard (Bishop of Albany) Doctor of Divinity
  Father Benjamin Kuhn Doctor of Sacred Theology
1976 William J. Boland, M.D. '50 (Pediatrician) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Sister Serena Branson, D.C. (Executive Director, Diocesan Office for Health and Social Services) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Colin W. Getz (Vice President - Upstate, New York Telephone Company) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Alfonso J. Marcelle (President, Callanan Industries) Doctor of Humane Letters
1975 The Honorable Domenick L. Gabrielli (Associate Justice, New York State Court of Appeals) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Vincent J. Schaefer, Ph.D. (Research Scientist) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Maureen Stapleton (Actress, Former Siena Student) Doctor of Humane Letters
1974 Right Reverend Allen Brown Doctor of Humane Letters
  Most Reverend Edwin B. Broderick, DD
Doctor of Laws
  Dr. Ewert H. Cousins Doctor of Humane Letters
  Melissa Hayden (Former Principal, New York City Ballet) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Rabbi Herman Kieval Doctor of Humane Letters
  The Honorable William K. Sanford (Supervisor, Town of Colonie) Doctor of Humane Letters
  William H. St. Thomas (President, St. Thomas, Inc.) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Katharine McCloskey Wilson (First Lady of the Empire State) Doctor of Humane Letters
1973 Ernest L. Boyer (Chancellor, The State University of New York, Albany) Doctor of Letters
  Cornelius W. Owens (Executive Vice President, American Telephone and Telegraph Company) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Sister Bernetta Quinn, O.S.F. (Biographer and Literary Critic, Allen University) Doctor of Letters
  William L. Pfeiffer (Chairman of the Board, Albany Savings Bank) Doctor of Humane Letters
1972 Madame Licia Albanese (Soprano, Metropolitan Opera Company) Doctor of Fine Arts
  The Honorable Perry B. Duryea, Jr. (Speaker, New York State Assembly) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Harry D. Yates (President, Dutch Village) Doctor of Humane Letters
1971 Theodore M. Black (Regent of the University of the State of New York) Doctor of Letters
  Granville Hicks (Novelist, Essayist and Critic) Doctor of Letters
  Edward Villella (A principal with the New York City Ballet) Doctor of Fine Arts
1970 The Honorable Earl W. Brydges (Senate Majority Leader, New York State Senate) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Peter D. Kiernan (President, Rose & Kiernan) Doctor of Humane Letters
  George E. O'Connor, Sr. (President, Mohawk Fine Paper Mills, Inc.) Doctor of Law
  Mother M. Angeline Teresa, O.Carm. (Superioress General, Carmelite Sisters) Doctor of Humane Letters
1969 Most Reverend Edwin B. Broderick, D.D. (Bishop of Albany) Doctor of Letters
  George W. Foy (Attorney) Doctor of Laws
  William A. Toomey, Jr. '53 (Attorney) Doctor of Laws
1968 Hollis E. Harrington (President, State Bank of Albany) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Harold C. Martin (President, Union College and University) Doctor of Letters
  Francis W. McGinley (Regent, State of New York) Doctor of Laws
  Eustace Smith, O.F.M., D.D. (Apostolic Vicar) Doctor of Humane Letters
1967 The Honorable Dominick V. Cerrito (Justice, Supreme Court, State of New York) Doctor of Laws
  The Honorable Arthur Levitt (Comptroller, State of New York) Doctor of Laws
  William H. Mulligan (Dean, School of Law, Fordham University) Doctor of Humane Letters
1966 Louis J. DeRusso, M.D. (Physician) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Clifton C. Flather (Administrative Director, Dormitory Authority of the State of New York) Doctor of Humane Letters
  John J. Meng (President, Hunter College, City University of New York)  Doctor of Letters
1965 Ernest F. Barvoets (President, Williams Press, Inc.) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Joseph J. Casey (Attorney) Doctor of Laws
  William R. Consedine (Director, Legal Department, National Catholic Welfare Conference) Doctor of Laws
  Rudolph R. DelGiacco, M.D. (Director of Education, St. Peter's Hospital) Doctor of Humane Letters
1964 Lawrence H. Cooke Doctor of Laws
  Eugene P. Devine Doctor of Humane Letters
  Right Reverend Monsignor Joseph T. Ryan Doctor of Humane Letters
1963 The Honorable Joseph P. Molinari, Jr. Doctor of Humane Letters
  Francis J. O'Brien Doctor of Humane Letters
1962 Charles C. MacClosky '40 Doctor of Humane Letters
  John W. Park Doctor of Laws
  James J. Reynolds Doctor of Laws
  John J. Warren Doctor of Humane Letter
1961 The Honorable Walter J. Mahoney (Majority Leader, New York State Senate)  Doctor of Laws
  The Honorable Leo W. O'Brien (U.S. House of Representatives) Doctor of Laws
  Edward J. O'Neill (Lt. Gen., U.S.A., Commanding First Army) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Eugene S. Robb (Publisher, Times-Union and Knickerbocker News) Doctor of Humane Letters
1960 Arthur P. Irving (President & Treasurer, The Glens Falls Post Company) Doctor of Letters
  Frank W. McCabe (President, The National Commercial Bank and Trust Company) Doctor of Humane Letters
  The Honorable Keith S. McHugh (Commissioner of Commerce, State of New York) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Frank L. York (President & Publisher, The Record Newspapers) Doctor of Letters
1959 Pierre Rizzi Bretey (Partner, Hayden Stone and Company) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Bishop Thomas Manning, DD 
Doctor of Laws
  Edward S. Rooney (President, First Trust Company) Doctor of Laws
  Sister Catherine Francis Soulier, C.S.J. (President, The College of St. Rose) Doctor of Humane Letters
  The Honorable Malcolm Wilson (Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York) Doctor of Laws
1958 James E. Cushing Doctor of Laws
  William S. Ginn Doctor of Humane Letters
  John J. Mackrell Doctor of Laws
  Charles A. Simmons, Sr. Doctor of Humane Letters
1957 John English, Sr. Doctor of Laws
  Vincent J. Malone, Esq. Doctor of Laws
  Reverend Dominic J. Ottaviano Doctor of Humane Letters
  Frank M. Sulzman, M.D. Doctor of Humane Letters
1956 The Honorable Daniel Gutman, LL.B. (Counsel to the Governor of the State of New York) Doctor of Laws
  The Honorable Charles J. Tobin, Jr., LL.B. (Secretary to the New York State Catholic Welfare Committee) Doctor of Laws
1955 Very Reverend Victor G. Bucher, O.F.M. (Visitor General of the Order of Friars Minor Holy Name Province, Pastor of Saint Mary's Parish and Superintendent of Saint Mary's High and Elementary Schools) Doctor of Letters
  John L. Madden, M.D., F.A.C.S. (Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery in the New York Medical College, Director, Department of Surgery, St. Clare's Hospital) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Right Reverend Monsignor Edward J. Maginn (Vicar General of the Diocese of Albany, Pastor of the Church of St. Vincent DePaul and Principal of Vincentian Institute) Doctor of Laws
1954 Mark F. Hughes, A.B., LL.B, K.M. (Attorney at Law) Doctor of Laws
  Reverend Thomas G. Mulqeen, A.B., S.T.D. (Principal of Catholic Central High School) Doctor of Letters
  Laura Moriarty Whitfield, A.B., A.M. (Member of the New York State Board of Social Welfare) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Reverend Brother Alexius Victor, F.S.C., Ph.D. (Provincial of the New York-New England Province of the Institute of the Brother of the Christian Schools) Doctor of Letters
1953 The Honorable Alexander J. Allan, Jr. (Regent of the University of the State of New York) Doctor of Letters
  The Honorable Edward N. Scheiberling (Member of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York) Doctor of Laws
1952 Reverend Mansueto Kohnen, O.F.M. (Professor of Germanic Literature, Pontifical Catholic University) Doctor of Letters
  Reverend Brother Jerome Roese, O.S.F. (Dean, St. Francis College) Doctor of Laws
  Arthur J. Wallingford, M.D. (Professor & Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Albany Medical College) Doctor of Laws
  Reverend Bernard Voght, O.F.M., Ph.D. (Prefect of Studies, Holy Name Province) Doctor of Letters
1951 Reverend Alvin Hughes, O.F.M. (Professor of Mathematics, St. Joseph's Seraphic Seminary)  Doctor of Humane Letters
  Very Reverend Cassian Kirk, O.F.M. (Rector, St. Joseph's Seraphic Seminary) Doctor of Letters
  The Honorable Daniel B. Lynch (Consultant Physician, Siena College) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Reverend Adrian McGonnell, O.F.M. (Professor of the Sciences, and past Prefect, St. Joseph's Seraphic Seminary) Doctor of Laws
  The Honorable J. Howard McGrath (Member of the Presidential Cabinet, Attorney General) Doctor of Laws
  The Honorable Lewis A. Wilson (Commissioner of Education of the State of New York and President of the University of the State of New York) Doctor of Letters
1950 Horace Field Doctor of Humane Letters
  The Honorable Patrick F. Scanlon, K.S.G. (Managing Editor, The Tablet) Doctor of Humane Letters
  Reverend Valentine Long, O.F.M. (Professor of English, Siena College, Member of the Board of Trustees) Doctor of Letters
  Reverend Callistus Smith, O.F.M. (Professor of Canon Law, Christ the King Seminary, St. Bonaventure, Member of the Board of Trustees) Doctor of Laws
1949 The Honorable Francis Bergan '46 (Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division) Doctor of Laws
  Very Reverend Bertrand J. Campbell, O.F.M. (Minister Provincial, Province of the Most Holy Name, Order of Friars Minor) Doctor of Letters
1948 Very Reverend Mathias Faust, O.F.M. (Procurator General of the Order of Friars Minor) Doctor of Laws
  The Honorable John T. Loughran (Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of the State of New York) Doctor of Laws
1947 Major General Thomas F. Farrell (Chief Engineer, Department of Public Works of the State of New York) Doctor of Laws

*Degree rescinded August 2018