Duke Anderson Dr. Arnn

Hillsdale College Grants Honorary Degree to Local Health Official

Duke Anderson receives honorary Doctor of Public Service degree

 

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HILLSDALE, Mich. — At its 168th annual Commencement ceremony held in person on July 18, Hillsdale College awarded an honorary doctor of public service degree to Duke Anderson, recently retired president and chief executive officer of Hillsdale Hospital.

Anderson earned his bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University in 1980, followed by certification as a graduate respiratory therapist at University of Chicago hospitals and clinics. In 1986, Anderson became the Director of Health Promotion Services for the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency. He began serving on the board of Hillsdale Hospital in 1994, becoming the first chief operating officer in 2006. Shortly thereafter, Anderson was promoted to president and chief executive officer, a position he held until his retirement in June. Throughout his career, Anderson has been an advocate for making healthcare accessible in rural communities, earning him a place on Becker’s Hospital Review’s Top Rural Health CEOs to Know list five times.

Anderson joins an esteemed list of Hillsdale College’s honorary degree recipients, including poet Will Carleton (1876), cryptologist Elizebeth Smith Friedman (1939), entrepreneur Malcolm Forbes (1984), Senator Mitt Romney (2007), Senator Ted Cruz (2013), Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence (2018), and Senator Mitch McConnell (2019).

About Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College is an independent liberal arts college located in southern Michigan. Founded in 1844, the College has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 5.7 million. For more information, visit hillsdale.edu.

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Media inquiries may be directed to:
Emily Stack Davis
517-607-2730 (work)
517-803-3745 (cell)
[email protected]
For all other inquiries contact Hillsdale College at 517-437-7341