Awards and Honorary Degrees

Contains honorary degrees and awards presented to Ella Fitzgerald by various institutions of higher learning including Howard University, George Washington University (GWU), the University of Southern California, Harvard University, University of California (UCLA), University of Maryland, Dartmouth University, Princeton University, Yale University, and Boston University, among others. Charitable groups whose work Fitzgerald supported such as the California Council for Retarded Children, Childhelp USA, and the Association for Retarded Citizens celebrated her. Some of the awards are also from cultural institutions and organizations including the Los Angeles Cultural Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kennedy Center, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). Major cities and states including Little Rock, Arkansas; Galveston, Texas; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; Toronto, Canada; San Francisco, California; and Richland County, South Carolina recognized her contributions to jazz by awarding her governors awards, honorary citizenships, days, and resolutions. In addition, groups that support the African American community honored Fitzgerald with the American Black Achievement Award, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) award, and the Equal Justice and the Arts award. Materials are arranged in chronological order.