Commencement Sunday, May 22, 2022

Honorary Degree: Doctor of Humane Letters
Conferred on Dwyane T. Wade, Jr.

Dwyane Wade is a three-time NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist. He attended Marquette from 2000 to 2003 and was selected number five overall in the 2003 NBA Draft months after leading the Marquette men’s basketball team to the NCAA Tournament Final Four.

Wade played the majority of his career with the Miami Heat, winning league championships in 2006, 2012, and 2013. He was named NBA Finals MVP in 2006, MVP of the 2010 NBA all-Star Game, and was chosen as one of the league’s 75 Greatest Players in NBA history in conjunction with the league’s 75th anniversary celebration in 2021. He represented in the United States twice at the Olympic Games, winning a gold medal in Beijing in 2008.

He is a member of the board of trustees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and recently joined the UC Davis Executive Leadership Board for the Department of Viticulture and Enology to support their efforts in bringing more diversity to the wine industry. Wade and his spouse Gabrielle Union recently launched Proudly, a sustainable baby care brand made specifically for babies and children of color, and together they have partnered with Janie and Jack on a Kaavia James Union-Wade collection.

Founder of 59th & Prairie Entertainment, he is an executive producer of “D. Wade: Life Unexpected,” the Sports Emmy–nominated documentary “Shot in the Dark,” the Oscar-winning animated short “Hair Love,” and “Legacy: In The Shadow of Greatness.” He is the New York Times bestselling author of A Father First, co-authored the New York Times bestselling children’s book Shady Baby, and recently released his photographic memoir DWYANE.

Wade cofounded the Social Change Fund United to invest in and support organizations focused on empowering communities of color and advocating for the human rights of all Black lives. The Wade Family Foundation provides relief to marginalized communities in need. Wade remains committed to using his platform to help advance racial justice and LGBTQ equality.

Wade is a businessman with partnerships including Li-Ning, MISSION, Budweiser’s Bud Zero, Stance, BallerTV, Wade Cellars, Mars Reel, 800° Woodfired Kitchen, and D. Wade Burgers. He recently joined the Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake ownership groups. Through his partnership with WarnerMedia, he serves as a regular analyst for TNT’s Tuesday night NBA studio coverage and is a creative director for Bleacher Report. Wade executive produces and hosts the award-winning British game show reboot of “The Cube” on TBS.

Because of his work ethic, commitment to excellence, and dedication to helping others, President Lovell, I hereby recommend Dwyane T. Wade, Jr., for the Marquette University degree of Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa.