The U Board of Trustees announced the names of this year’s honorary degree receipients at their meeting Tuesday morning.
Carol Fay and James Macfarlane will each be awarded a Doctor of Business degree at commencement ceremonies in May. Peter Meldrum will receive a Doctor of Engineering degree and Marva Warnock will receive a Doctor of Fine Arts degree.
Traditionally, the commencement speaker also receives an honorary degree and this year’s speaker, author David McCullough, will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. The official “hooding” ceremony and giving of the honorary doctorates will take place at commencement May 8 in the Huntsman Center.
Fay, who has been a supporter of women’s issues in her work with the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration, was informed several months ago that she was nominated for the award by U President Michael Young in a meeting with the president and her husband. She has received many awards for her leadership abilities, including the U Alumni Association’s Honorary Alumna Award.
“It’s an overwhelming honor,” she said.
Fay and other nominees were asked to keep the nominations a secret until the Board approved the list on March 10.
The nominees all have a long list contributions to the U and the community on a local and national spectrum and are picked for these contributions, said Becky Riley, executive assistant to the Trustees.
Fay said connecting with other people of similar interests for different events such as Crimson Club is one of her most important contributions.
A larger audience is expected this year because of the fame of McCullough, said Laura Snow, secretary to the university. McCullough wrote 1776, John Adams, The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, The Path Between the Seas, Mornings on Horseback, Brave Companions and Truman. In December 2006, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the nation.
The history of giving honorary doctorate degrees at the U started in 1892. The first was given to John R. Park, the U’s first president.
Honorary degree recipient Macfarlane was the president of Rocky Mountain Bank Note, which he made into an $85 million company. He also built Integrated Companies Group, which prints magnetic ink recognition products for financial institutions around the world. Macfarlane served as a chairman on numerous boards for groups such as Blue Cross of Utah, the U Alumni Association and the National Advisory Council.
Meldrum received a bachelor’s degree from the U in 1970 and a Master’s in Business Administration in 1974. Last year, he received the Award of Distinction from the American Federation for Aging Research. Meldrum works as CEO for Myriad Genetics, which specializes in drugs for cancer, AIDS and other molecular diagnostic products.
Warnock created the logo and the first marketing materials for Adobe Systems. She helped fund the John and Marva Warnock Engineering Building and the remodel of the Engineering and Mines Classroom Building. She is on the executive advisory board for the Springville Art Museum and the National Leadership Council for the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.