Cardinal Dolan to Receive Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on May 16
IRVING, Texas (Nov. 3, 2025) — The University of Dallas announced today that His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, will deliver the commencement address to the Class of 2026 on Saturday, May 16, 2026. In recognition of his distinguished service to the Church and society, the University of Dallas will also confer upon Cardinal Dolan an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at the ceremony.
“Cardinal Dolan is one of the Church’s most joyful and widely respected shepherds, and we are honored to welcome him to the University of Dallas,” said President Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D. “His witness to truth, charity, and the freedom found in Christ resonates deeply with our mission to form graduates in wisdom and virtue. It is a privilege to confer the Doctor of Humane Letters upon him and to share his inspiration with our seniors as they begin their next chapter.”
“I am deeply honored to be granted an honorary degree from and to be the 2026 commencement speaker for the University of Dallas—a sterling Catholic university that I have long admired,” Dolan said. “My sincere thanks to President Sanford and the Board of Trustees for their invitation.”
Cardinal Dolan has served as Archbishop of New York since 2009 and previously as Archbishop of Milwaukee. He was created a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 and is a former president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (2010–2013). Earlier in his ministry he served as rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome.
Additional details regarding ceremony logistics and graduate/guest information will be shared with the UDallas community in the spring.
About His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan
Cardinal Dolan was appointed Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 23, 2009, after serving as Archbishop of Milwaukee since 2002. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals on Feb. 18, 2012. He has held numerous leadership roles in the Church in the United States, including service as president of the USCCB.
About the University of Dallas
With two campuses in Texas and Italy, the University of Dallas is the premier Catholic liberal arts university in the country. Rated as one of America’s Best Colleges 2026 by The Princeton Review, UDallas offers the most challenging, comprehensive undergraduate interdisciplinary programs at an excellent value to some of the happiest students in the country. Grounded in the Catholic faith and recommended by the Cardinal Newman Society, UDallas stands apart as a thriving community of learners committed to an education that forms students intellectually, socially and spiritually for a life well-lived. For more information, visit udallas.edu.
