WVU Commencement Features Honorary Degree For Bill Withers

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - About 4,500 degrees are being issued as part of West Virginia University's commencement weekend, including an honorary doctorate for "Ain't No Sunshine" singer Bill Withers.

The Dominion Post of Morgantown reports that the weekend involves 17 ceremonies to hand out more than 3,000 undergraduate degrees, 915 master's and 531 doctorates.

Withers received his honorary music degree on Friday. His hits include "Just the Two of Us," "Lean on Me" and "Lovely Day." He grew up in Raleigh County before joining the Navy after high school. He was an aircraft mechanic for nine years before releasing his first record, "Ain't No Sunshine."

WVU graduate Margie Mason, an Associated Press reporter and Pulitzer Prize recipient, was the keynote speaker at the Reed College of Media on Friday.

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