Stevie Wonder

Doctor of Humane Letters

For more than six decades, Stevie Wonder has used his gifts as a musician and songwriter to entertain and inspire millions. His music and lyrics bear witness to communities in conversation—about social injustice, the harsh truths of heartbreak and desolation, and, above all, the power of love to lift us to a higher ground.

“The greatest gift that has been given in life itself is love,” he once said. “We can talk about all the things that are wrong—and there are many—but the only thing that can deliver us is love.” 

A child prodigy, Stevland Morris was signed by Motown Records at age 11, and in 1963, as 12-year-old Little Stevie Wonder, he became the youngest recording artist to achieve a No. 1 single, with “Fingertips, Part 2.” He’s regarded as a musical genius, a master of many instruments and a pioneer in his use of synthesizers. His songs have topped the charts for decades, bridging pop, R&B, funk, soul, gospel, and jazz. To date, he has amassed 49 Top 40 singles, 32 No. 1 singles, and worldwide sales of over 100 million units. He has earned 25 Grammy Awards, the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. His iconic 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life, is archived in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress for its cultural, historic, and aesthetic significance. 

Equally laudable is his humanitarian leadership. In the 1980s, he spearheaded the campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday, and his single “Happy Birthday” was the rallying song for the movement. He participated in the “We Are the World” fundraiser for hunger relief in Africa, and the United Nations honored him for his efforts to put an end to apartheid in South Africa. He has received numerous honors, including a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and he is a designated United Nations Messenger of Peace with special focus on persons with disabilities. 

In 2016, he called for U.N. member states to join the Marrakesh Treaty, which expanded the availability of published works in accessible formats such as Braille, large print, and audio books. “Imagine if others like me were given the opportunity to function at their full potential, how much better our world would be,” he said to delegates, noting that just 25 member states had ratified the treaty at the time. Today, 118 countries have signed on.

For his artistry and for his commitment to using his talents and voice to create a more just, inclusive world, we, the President and Trustees of Fordham University, in solemn convocation assembled and in accord with the chartered authority bestowed on us by the Regents of the University of the State of New York, declare Stevie Wonder Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. That he may enjoy all rights and privileges of this, our highest honor, we have issued these letters patent under our hand and the corporate seal of the University on this, the 20th day of May in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Three.