Jaroslav Pelikan has been instrumental in building understanding between Protestants and Catholics and between Christians and Jews. At his urging, the National Conference of Christians and Jews established a center for theological dialogue among American religious leaders. In 1959, his award-winning book The Riddle of Roman Catholicism figured significantly in the movement against religious prejudice at the very time when a Roman Catholic was campaigning for the United States presidency.

Professor Pelikan was educated at Concordia Theological Seminary and the University of Chicago and is now Sterling Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University. Author of a definitive five-volume work on the history of Christian doctrine and general editor of the standard edition of the works of Martin Luther, since 1950 he has published nearly 30 books and edited many others. He has been honored by universities in this country and abroad and has served in various important advisory capacities for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In recognition of his significant scholarship and contributions to ecumenical dialogue and understanding and for his enormous reserves of patience, compassion, and tolerance, Southern Methodist University is pleased to confer upon Jaroslav Pelikan the degree Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.