1967 -- Dwight D. Eisenhower, General of the Army, 34th President of the United States (U. S. Military Academy, 1915).

1968 -- Leverett Saltonstall, United States senator, governor of Massachusetts (Harvard University, 1914).

1969 -- Byron R. White, United States Supreme Court (University of Colorado, Boulder, 1938).

1970 -- Frederick L. Hovde, president, Purdue University (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 1929).

1971 -- Christopher C. Craft Jr., National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1944).

1972 -- Jerome H. Holland, United States Ambassador to Sweden (Cornell University, 1939).

1973 -- Omar N. Bradley, General of the Army (U. S. Military Academy, 1915).

1974 -- Jesse Owens, Jesse Owens, Inc., Public Relations (Ohio State University, 1937).

1975 -- Gerald R. Ford, 38th President of the United States (University of Michigan, 1935).

1976 -- Thomas J. Hamilton, Rear Admiral, United States Navy (U. S. Naval Academy, 1927).

1977 -- Tom Bradley, Mayor, Los Angeles (University of California, Los Angeles, 1941).

1978 -- Gerald B. Zornow, Eastman Kodak Company (University of Rochester, 1937).

1979 -- Otis Chandler, publisher, Los Angeles Times (Stanford University, 1950).

1980 -- Denton A. Cooley, Texas Heart Institute (University of Texas at Austin, 1941).

1981 -- Arthur G. Linkletter, entertainer (San Diego State University, 1934).

1982 -- William H. Cosby Jr., entertainer (Temple University, 1964).

1983 -- Arnold Palmer, professional golfer (Wake Forest University, 1954).

1984 -- William P. Lawrence, Vice-Admiral, United States Navy (U. S. Naval Academy, 1951).

1985 -- Robben W. Fleming, president, University of Michigan (Beloit College, 1938).

1986 -- George H. Bush, Vice-President of the United States (subsequently the 41st President), (Yale University, 1948).

1987 -- Walter J. Zable, corporate executive (College of William and Mary, 1937).

1988 -- Special Recognition Award: Walter Byers, NCAA executive director, 1951-87 (University of Iowa, 1943).

1989 -- Paul A. Ebert, medical doctor (Ohio State University, 1954).

1990 -- Ronald W. Reagan, 40th President of the United States (Eureka College, 1932).

1991 -- Althea Gibson, humanitarian (Florida A&M University, 1953).

1992 -- Jack F. Kemp, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (Occidental College, 1957).

1993 -- A. Lamar Alexander Jr., United States Secretary of Education (Vanderbilt University, 1962).

1994 -- Rafer Johnson, businessman and civic leader (University of California, Los Angeles, 1959).

1995 -- Robert B. Mathias, civic leader (Stanford University, 1953).

1996 -- John R. Wooden, men's basketball coach, University of California, Los Angeles (Purdue University, 1932).

1997 -- William Porter "Billy" Payne, Olympics executive (University of Georgia, 1969).

1998 -- Robert J. Dole, United States senator (University of Kansas, 1943).

1999 -- Bill Richardson, United States Department of Energy (Tufts University, 1970).

2000 -- Roger Staubach, business executive (U.S. Naval Academy, 1965).

2001 -- William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense (Bowdoin College, 1962).