With commencement season underway, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs wowed the class of 2014 at Howard University on Saturday with his speech — he attended the Washington school for two years before dropping out in 1990.
Upon receiving an honorary doctorate, Diddy thanked his “Howard family,” saying, “Only this family could take one of its sons that already had three name changes and give him a fourth: Dr. Combs.”
Meanwhile, some in the crowd chanted “Dr. Diddy.”
Combs is far from the only nonacademic celebrity to be awarded an honorary degree — and offer advice for the new graduates — this year. Here are some of the boldface names who donned cap and gown recently, without having to go to class:
Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page, The Led Zeppelin guitarist, was honored by Berklee College of Music in Boston. The night before graduation, students played their own versions of some of his music at a concert. Page, 70, was so affected by the show, he tossed his prepared speech the next day. “After the experience of listening to the concert last night, this speech is rendered useless,” he told the graduates. “So here I am, I’m a sort of busking musician trying to busk my speech!”
Jay Leno
Meryl Streep
Multiple-Oscar winner Meryl Streep was honored by University of Indiana, Bloomington, where she told the class of 2014 that she never expected to make it as an actress. “I thought I was too ugly to be an actress. Glasses weren’t fabulous then.” Streep previously was given honorary degrees at Princeton and Dartmouth, among other schools.
Tommy Lasorda
Dodger legend Tommy Lasorda also received an honorary degree — his 11th — from Northwood University in West Palm Beach. There, the 86-year-old exhorted graduating seniors: “Whatever you want to do, whatever you believe in, you gotta want it.”
LL Cool J
Rapper and “NCIS: Los Angeles” star LL Cool J was awarded a Doctor of Arts degree from Northeastern University in Boston., where his daughter, Italia Smith, just graduated. Reacting to his honor, the rapper/actor said: “I’ve been called a few things, but never a doctor, that’s for sure.”