June 2001 - Representative Ike Skelton (D-MO)

National Defense University instituted the awarding of honorary degrees with the title of Doctor of National Security Affairs in 2001. The first honorary degree was awarded at the June graduation ceremony to Representative Ike Skelton (D-MO). Congressman Skelton, regarded by many to be the godfather of joint professional military education, has represented Missouri's Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1977, and is currently the Ranking Democrat on the House Armed Service Committee. As the chair of the 1988 Skelton Panel, Congressman Skelton was involved in implementing the education provisions of the Goldwater-Nichols Act. Long interested in defense issues, Congressman Skelton has been a strong supporter of the National Defense University.

June 2002 - Dr. Condoleezza Rice

In June 2002, National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice received an honorary degree of Doctor of National Security Affairs. Dr. Rice previously had earned a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. Prior to her White House assignment, she taught as a professor of political science on the Stanford faculty where she won two of the highest teaching honors - the 1984 Walter J. Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 1993 School of Humanities and Sciences Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching. She also served as Provost at Stanford University. Throughout her career, Dr. Rice has been active in the national security community and has published books and articles on foreign affairs. Upon conferral of the degree, Dr. Rice expressed her thanks and praised the contributions of NDU to the national security community.

June 2003 - Ambassador George F. Kennan

Ambassador George F. Kennan was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of National Security Affairs at the NDU graduation ceremony in June 2003. Ambassador Keenan articulated the policy of containment, was a proponent of secret diplomacy, won two Pulitzer Prizes, and was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President George H.W. Bush in 1979. At the end of World War II, Ambassador Kennan became Deputy for Foreign Affairs at the National War College, where he wrote the seminal public exposition of the containment policy in "The Sources of Soviet Conduct," Foreign Affairs(July 1947). Today the office where he worked is named in his honor and a plaque in the room commemorates his service. Ms. Joan Kennan, Ambassador Kennan's daughter, accepted the honorary degree on behalf of her father. Ambassador Keenan passed away in March 2005.

February 2004 – General John W. Vessey, Jr., United States Army (Retired)

General John W. Vessey, Jr., United States Army (Retired) received the honorary degree of Doctor of National Security Affairs on February 27, 2004.  National Defense University President, Lieutenant General Michael M. Dunn, United States Air Force, conferred the degree upon General Vessey at a formal banquet in celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF).  General Vessey was a 1966 graduate of ICAF and is a regular guest lecturer at the College.  He became a distinguished soldier, diplomat, and advisor to Presidents; and has rendered a lifetime of outstanding service to the nation and his fellow citizens.  In and out of uniform, General Vessey exemplifies unparalleled devotion to “duty, honor and country” and the ICAF ideals of jointness and strategic thinking.  As the 10th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Vessey sought to reduce inter-service rivalry and to streamline the national military command structure.  General Vessey is the holder of more than 35 United States military and foreign government decorations.  In 1992, President Bush presented General Vessey the nation’s highest civilian decoration, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  Through more than five decades of incomparable service marked by exceptional qualities of courage, dedication, and leadership, General Vessey has set an extraordinary example for all.  Today, the largest conference room in Eisenhower Hall, home of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, is named for General Vessey. 

June 2004 - General Andrew J. Goodpaster, United States Army (Retired)

General Andrew J. Goodpaster, United States Army (Retired), received the honorary degree of Doctor of National Security Affairs in June 2004. Spanning over seven decades, General Goodpaster's career of public service included serving as an aide to four United States Presidents, commanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and came out of retirement in 1977 to serve as the Superintendent at the United States Military Academy. He was an author and educator on national defense issues. General Goodpaster was Chairman Emeritus of the George C. Marshall Foundation and served as Senior Fellow at the Eisenhower Institute. He was awarded several military decorations including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Defense Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster. He was awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom by former President Ronald Reagan. General Goodpaster passed away in May 2005.

June 2005 - Mr. Norman R. Augustine

Mr. Norman R. Augustine, retired chairman and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation and a former Under Secretary of the Army, received the honorary degree of Doctor of National Security Affairs in June 2005. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of ConocoPhillips, Black & Decker, and Procter & Gamble and a member of the Board of Trustees of Colonial Williamsburg and Johns Hopkins. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Princeton and MIT. He is a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Board. Mr. Augustine has served as the Commissioner of the Hart/Rudman Commission on National Security, Chairman of the Defense Science Board, President of the Boys Scouts of America, Chairman of the American Red Cross, and other international, government, and corporate entities.

June 2006 - Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft, United States Air Force (Retired)

Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft, United States Air Force (Retired), received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of National Security Affairs in June 2006. His extraordinary twenty-nine-year military career began with graduation from West Point in 1947 and concluded at the rank of Lieutenant General following service as the Deputy National Security Advisor. His Air Force service included Professor of Russian History at West Point; Assistant Air Attaché in Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Head of the Political Science Department at the Air Force Academy; Air Force Long Range Plans; Office of the Secretary of Defense International Security Assistance; Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Military Assistant to President Nixon. General Scowcroft has served as the National Security Advisor to both Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. From 1982 to 1989, he was Vice Chairman of Kissinger Associates, Inc., an international consulting firm. In this capacity, he advised and assisted a wide range of U.S. and foreign corporate leaders on global joint venture opportunities, strategic planning, and risk assessment. As President and founder of The Scowcroft Group and one of the country's leading experts on international policy, General Scowcroft provides unparalleled strategic advice and assistance in dealing in the international arena. He serves on the President's Advisory Committee on Arms Control, the Commission on Strategic Forces, and the President's Special Review Board (also known as the Tower Commission) as well as numerous corporate and nonprofit boards. He earned his masters and doctorate in international relations from Columbia University.

March 2007 – Admiral James M. Loy, United States Coast Guard (Retired)

Admiral James M. Loy, United States Coast Guard (Retired), received the honorary degree of Doctor of National Security Affairs from the National Defense University at a ceremony hosted by Lieutenant General F.C. Wilson, USMC, President, on March 2, 2007. Admiral James Loy has compiled an extremely distinguished record of achievement and contribution to national security.  In 2005, Admiral James Loy completed a 45-year career in public service, retiring as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. In this capacity, he was involved in all aspects of consolidating 22 separate agencies into one unified Cabinet department as well as managing the day-to-day activities of the agency.  Prior to the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, Admiral Loy served in the Department of Transportation as the Deputy Under Secretary for Security and Chief Operating Officer of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and later as Under Secretary for Security. In these roles, he served as the first administrator of the newly created TSA, which is responsible for protecting the Nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.  Admiral Loy retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2002, having served as its Commandant since May 1998. As head of the 90,000 person organization, he restored readiness through workforce development and modernized the Coast Guard’s fleet of ships and aircraft.  Prior to his service as Commandant, Admiral Loy served as the Coast Guard Chief of Staff from 1996 to 1998, during which time he redesigned the headquarters management structure and overhauled the Coast Guard planning and budgeting process to focus more sharply on performance and results. From 1994 to 1996, he was Commander of the Coast Guard's Atlantic Area, supervising U.S. forces during the mass Haitian and Cuban migrations of 1994, and leading Coast Guard forces participating in Operation Restore Democracy.  A career seagoing officer, Admiral Loy has served tours aboard six Coast Guard cutters, including command of a patrol boat in combat during the Vietnam War and command of major cutters in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  His military commendations and civilian honors are numerous, including the Department of Transportation Distinguished Service Medal; four Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medals; the Defense Superior Service Medal; the Bronze Star with Combat "V"; the Combat Action Ribbon; the Naval Order of the United States’ Distinguished Sea Service Award, the Seaman’s Church Institute Silver Bell Award, the Navy League prestigious Admiral Arleigh Burke Leadership Award, the Intrepid Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and many other distinctions. Admiral Loy graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1964 and holds Master's degrees from Wesleyan University and the University of Rhode Island.  In 2003, he received the Honorary Degree in Science from the Webb Institute.  He also interned at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

June 2008 – Dr. William J. Perry

Dr. William J. Perry, MS, PhD, received the honorary degree of Doctor of National Security Affairs from the National Defense University at a ceremony hosted by Lieutenant General F.C. Wilson, USMC, President, on June 12, 2008. Dr. Perry is the Michael and Barbara Berberian Professor at Stanford University, with a joint appointment at FSI and the School of Engineering. He is a senior fellow at FSI and serves as co-director of the Preventive Defense Project, a research collaboration of Stanford and Harvard Universities. He is an expert in U.S. foreign policy, national security and arms control. He was the co-director of CISAC from 1988 to 1993, during which time he was also a professor (half time) at Stanford. He was a part-time lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at Santa Clara University from 1971 to 1977. Perry was the 19th Secretary of Defense for the United States, serving from February 1994 to January 1997. He previously served as deputy secretary of defense (1993-1994) and as under secretary of defense for research and engineering (1977-1981). He is on the board of directors of LGS Bell Labs Innovations and several emerging high-tech companies and is chairman of Global Technology Partners. His previous business experience includes serving as a laboratory director for General Telephone and Electronics (1954-1964); founder and president of ESL Inc. (1964-1977); executive vice-president of Hambrecht & Quist Inc. (1981-1985); and founder and chairman of Technology Strategies & Alliances (1985-1993). He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. From 1946 to 1947, Perry was an enlisted man in the Army Corps of Engineers, and served in the Army of Occupation in Japan. He joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1948 and was a second lieutenant in the Army Reserves from 1950 to 1955. He has received a number of awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1997), the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal (1980 and 1981), and Outstanding Civilian Service Medals from the Army (1962 and 1997), the Air Force (1997), the Navy (1997), the Defense Intelligence Agency (1977 and 1997), NASA (1981) and the Coast Guard (1997). He received the American Electronic Association's Medal of Achievement (1980), the Eisenhower Award (1996), the Marshall Award (1997), the Forrestal Medal (1994), and the Henry Stimson Medal (1994). The National Academy of Engineering selected him for the Arthur Bueche Medal in 1996. He has received awards from the enlisted personnel of the Army, Navy, and the Air Force. He has received decorations from the governments of Albania, Bahrain, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Poland, Slovenia, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. He received a BS and MS from Stanford University and a PhD from Penn State, all in mathematics.