On Thursday May 29th, 2014, in Cambridge Mass., legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin was awarded an honorary Doctorate Degree from Harvard University. She became an honorary “Doctor of Arts” at the Harvard ceremony, which came a year after she was forced to cancel a string of concerts due to ill health. University Provost Alan M. Garber introduced her as “her regal highness, the Queen of Soul.” The 72-year-old diva gave a rousing rendition of the National Anthem before receiving the honor at the university’s annual commencement ceremony. She has won 18 Grammy Awards and was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1987. Other notable recipients of honorary Harvard degrees included former United States President George Bush, Sr. and ex-New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.
