Bill Gates finally gets college degree

Author: Brett Thomas
Published: 26th March 2007
Comments (21) Stumble
"Stay in school, or you could become Bill Gates" - The world's richest dropout got his (honorary) degree this weekend.

"Stay in school, or you could become Bill Gates" - The world's richest dropout got his (honorary) degree this weekend.

Everybody knows that you'd better stay in school - after all, people who don't graduate from uni have been proven to earn less over their lifetimes. I wonder whether the people who conducted that study included the world's richest man, Bill Gates? The founder of Microsoft never did go back to earn his degree - but he'll have one now.

Mr. Gates will be presented his diploma from Harvard University on June 7, 2007. His trip will be two-fold - he's already scheduled to be at the university to give a commencement speech to this year's graduating class. This will be the 356th year for the university, the oldest in the United States.

Of course, Bill giving the commencement speech is a very ironic choice - he walked away from the exact same university 32 years earlier sans degree. He is still considered to be part of Harvard's graduating class of 1977, though it's doubtful the university thought so at the time. He had left as only a sophomore, to start a fledgeling computer software corporation out of his garage in 1975.

"His contributions to the world of business and technology, and the great example he has set through his far-reaching philanthropy, will rightfully put him on centre stage in Harvard Yard," said Harvard Alumni Association President Paul Finnegan. Of course, the university probably wouldn't have been so generous if Microsoft weren't that fledgeling software corporation - but it will set Mr. Gates' college history right with an honourary degree now. The university declined to give a reason why it waited 30 years before deciding to honour Gates, except that it "considers many honourary degrees each year." Apparently it must be a very long list.

Do you have a thought on the ceremony? Tell us about it in our forums.
Quote orb 26th March 2007, 07:47
Now he can finally get on that career to earn some money!
Quote Fod 26th March 2007, 07:51
good to see him finally making something of himself.
Quote samkiller42 26th March 2007, 08:43
Congrats billy

This is one of those nice "and they all lived happily ever after" stories.

Sam
Quote Vaz 26th March 2007, 08:58
I'm really not in favour of 'honourary degrees'. It's so unfair. So what if they make it to the top, a degree in any subject should be earnt through paying you're student fee's, working late night, being tested thouroughly on the subject.

People who spend 3-6 years in uni make getting that degree one of the most important goals in life. These other lot make it big by chance and then end up with a degree from every university they go to gie lectures to. I mean.. come on..

not fair :(
Quote M_D_K 26th March 2007, 09:46
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vaz
I'm really not in favour of 'honourary degrees'. It's so unfair. So what if they make it to the top, a degree in any subject should be earnt through paying you're student fee's, working late night, being tested thouroughly on the subject.

People who spend 3-6 years in uni make getting that degree one of the most important goals in life. These other lot make it big by chance and then end up with a degree from every university they go to gie lectures to. I mean.. come on..

not fair :(


That is true, and why does Mr Gates need one anyway so he can leave MS and go flip burgers with 5 stars :) lol.

Something to put on his wall or maybe he's getting picked on in the office for not having a proper education lol.
Quote Havok154 26th March 2007, 10:29
The only reason they give them out is to say that (insert celebrity) graduated from their school, and you should pay them insane amounts of money to do the same.
Quote bilbothebaggins 26th March 2007, 10:43
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vaz
I'm really not in favour of 'honourary degrees'. It's so unfair. So what if they make it to the top, a degree in any subject should be earnt through paying you're student fee's, working late night, being tested thouroughly on the subject.

People who spend 3-6 years in uni make getting that degree one of the most important goals in life. These other lot make it big by chance and then end up with a degree from every university they go to gie lectures to. I mean.. come on..

not fair :(
Yeah but it's a honorary degree alright. So everyone knows he didn't do it regularly. (As if anyone would care with Mr. Gates.)
Quote sinizterguy 26th March 2007, 11:04
Why not ... He deserves that honorary degree.
Quote alextwo 26th March 2007, 13:16
Edinburgh university gave him an honorary degree when he was over here at the end of January:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/070130billgates.html

Quote Swafeman 26th March 2007, 14:00
So now hes got 2 :D

He deserves it, sure you could argue you should have to study hard to earn it, but at the end of the day its knowledge thats key, not just revising the answers to pass exams - hes done better than anyone else in his class, surely hes got a better computing knowledge than most of his computing degree fellows
Quote pjotero 26th March 2007, 14:46
can you actually do anything with an honorary degree?
Quote supermonkey 26th March 2007, 14:52
No, you can't actually do anything with an honorary degree. Some people are starting to take this a little out of proportion. The people who toil away at Harvard for 5 years earning their degrees will still have a proper diploma. Bill Gates hasn't gained any actual college degree, just an honorary title.

It's very common for universities to hand out honorary degrees to commencement speakers.

-monkey
Quote Tyinsar 26th March 2007, 17:13
Honorary degrees are just silly. Those who get them have earned enough prestige in their field that the degree is unneeded. Those people have usually also rejected the traditional way of earning that degree (and thus rejected the school system involved). The only thing I can see them being is an attention getter for the school. They are in effect nothing but a publicity stunt.
Quote supermonkey 26th March 2007, 18:36
It's just part of the university tradition. Instead of giving a certificate or a plaque, the university bestows an "honorary degree." Typically is it a degree in "Letters" or some other vague title. It's not meant to be anything other than a certificate of thanks for giving the commencement, but calling it a "degree" gives it that academic feel associated with a place of higher learning. The only reason this is getting any press is because of the coincidence that Bill Gates just happened to have dropped out of Harvard before founding Microsoft.

If Bill has ever given any other commencement addresses, then I can almost guarantee that he has a bunch of these degrees sitting in his closet.

-monkey
Quote Tyinsar 26th March 2007, 18:49
Why not just give him a certificate of thanks then? I think degrees should be reserved for people who actually graduated from the school (and thus are a "product" of that school).
Quote:
Originally Posted by orb
Now he can finally get on that career to earn some money!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fod
good to see him finally making something of himself.
I laughed with those two.
Quote Javerh 26th March 2007, 21:02
Perhaps Billy-boy will put his degree to good use and make Windows all the better and eventually save the world from the tyranny of Linuxintosh.
Quote Cptn-Inafinus 26th March 2007, 21:48
Excuse my use of overused internet acronyms but:

OMGIODZ BILL GATEZ IS NOW A HACCORZ! FO REALS!

Sorry but this is just silly. Its just too make people laugh. It will be the happy story on the news after all the sad ones.
Quote Cthippo 27th March 2007, 01:14
I wonder what perchentage of self-made multi-millionaires did so without a degree. I think it's most of them. A degree may earn you more money on average, but it seems to be an impediment to getting to the top.
Quote Tyinsar 27th March 2007, 01:28
Interesting point Cthippo. Perhaps skipping the degree gives them an earlier start but I suspect most of those people who "make it" without a degree are mavericks, they like to take chances, are impatient to get going, and dislike following others. Traditional schools aren't really geared to deal with their personalities.
Quote sui_winbolo 27th March 2007, 01:54
Quote:
Originally Posted by orb
Now he can finally get on that career to earn some money!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fod
good to see him finally making something of himself.

O EM GEE! These made me crack up!


Quote zoom314 27th March 2007, 03:22
Oh the Horror, Bill Gates was a drop out, OMG.
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