The criteria for awarding the degree vary from institution to institution, but the degree is not based on the conventional formula of coursework, examinations and a thesis. Indeed, the recipient need not ever have attended classes at the conferring school. Typically, the degree recognizes exceptional contribution to society, scholarship or the arts. The degree is also awarded to alumni who have distinguished themselves with exceptional support to the development of the school.
The first honorary degree was conferred in the 15th century by the University of Oxford, a practice that spread rapidly to other European countries as a way to extend academic peerage--privileges at the university--to influential and powerful individuals, both in recognition of their achievements and, at the same time, to build their support. In subsequent centuries, the practice was no less popular in U.S. universities. Harvard University, for example, has conferred honorary degrees on 14 U.S. presidents, beginning with George Washington.
On a higher level, the doctorate of humane letters designates the honoree as an individual who has made a signal contribution to humanity. The selection of an appropriate candidate makes a statement about the values of the granting institution. Martin Luther King Jr., for example, was granted honorary doctorates by 20 schools. On a more mundane level, selecting an appropriate candidate for the doctorate of humane letters can have a significant impact on the development efforts of the school, raising its status in the wider community.
Candidates for honorary degrees do not escape controversy. In 2009, for example, President Barack Obama was asked to speak at the Arizona State University commencement, an honor which is typically accompanied by the awarding of an honorary degree. ASU, however, specifically declined to offer him this honor.
Holders of the doctorate of humane letters do not typically use their degree as evidence of academic standing, for example, to pursue a career in academia, nor do they use the title "doctor" as an honorific. There are notable exceptions to this general rule, however, such as Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Johnson, who referred to themselves as "doctor."