Bob Iger, the chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Company and a 1973 graduate of Ithaca College, will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters degree at the college’s 130th Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 18 with 952 graduates.
Delivering the main address will be alumna Monica Digilio ’85, M. S. ’86, a distinguished executive who has led human resources for some of the most well-known global brands in hospitality and entertainment, including Atlantis Resorts, One&Only, Caesars Entertainment, and Montage International.
As CEO of Disney, Iger is one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry, overseeing movies, TV networks including ABC and ESPN, and Disney’s multiple theme parks. A longtime supporter of the college, Iger earned his degree in television-radio from Ithaca College in 1973.
According to Disney’s proxy statement, Iger earned total compensation of $41,114,015 in 2024, which includes salary, bonuses, stock grants and options.
Ithaca College is located about 40 miles north of Binghamton in Ithaca, NY, also home to Cornell University.
The Ithaca College Board of Trustees grants honorary degrees upon recommendation of the faculty, recognizing leaders who represent the ideals embraced by the Ithaca College community and who serve as a mirror of the college’s values, mission, and character.
“There are a multitude of ways in which Bob Iger is truly deserving of this honor,” said Ithaca College President La Jerne Terry Cornish. “We deeply appreciate his contributions to Ithaca College, our students, and the community at large. Our institutional mission is to educate, engage, and empower through theory, practice, and performance, and he is the personification of that mission.”
After graduating from Ithaca College, Iger got his start at ABC. During the ensuing years he obtained hands-on experience in every aspect of the television business from news, sports, and entertainment to program acquisition, rights negotiations, and business affairs.
Iger officially joined the Disney senior management team in 1996 as chairman of the Disney-owned ABC Group. He served as Disney’s president and chief operating officer from 2000-2005, was named chief executive officer in 2005, and was elected to the additional role of chairman in 2012. In 2020 he became executive chairman prior to retiring in 2021. He returned to Disney as CEO in November of 2022 and has led a significant, enterprise-wide transformation to restore creativity to the center of the company and position Disney’s streaming business for sustained growth and profitability.
