Former Tennessee Gov. Ned Ray McWherter accepted the first honorary degree awarded by the University of Tennessee at Martin during fall commencement at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.

McWherter, the state's 46th chief executive, received the first Doctorate of Leadership that was approved by the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees earlier this year. Only five honorary degrees have been conferred by UT.

Participating in the hooding ceremony for the honorary degree was UTM Chancellor Nick Dunagan and Dr. Tom Rakes.

UT interim President Joe Johnson made remarks following the ceremony.

Dunagan will presided over the commencement exercises and confered the degrees. Paul Sharma, alumni distinguished service professor, was the mace bearer, and the processional marshals were Dr. Susan C. Vicker-staff, faculty senate president; Dr. Daniel F. Pigg, faculty senate vice president; Alvin G. Hooten, vice chancellor for finance and administration, and Lenora P. Solomons, vice chancellor for university advancement.

Commencement was also marked by recognition of the recipients of the Paul and Martha Meek Leadership Awards and the recognition of honor graduates.

McWherter often refers to UTM as "my university" and has numerous ties to the local institution.

Located in his native Weakley County, UTM was the beneficiary of funds he donated to build a replica of the governor's office, located in the university's Paul Meek Library. The library now houses McWherter's speaker of the house papers.

The fact that his daughter, Dr. Linda Ramsey, is a longtime UTM professor of health and human performance, and his grandson, Matt Ramsey, is in his second year as a university student, adds to McWherter's affinity for UTM.

McWherter attended Weakley County public schools and graduated from Dresden High School in 1948. He was a Dresden businessman before being elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1968, where he served for nine consecutive terms.

He was elected Speaker of the House in 1973, serving seven terms in that position. In 1986, he was elected to the first of two four-year terms as governor. McWherter's contributions to Tennessee education include his work to establish the 21st Century Schools program.

McWherter created a charitable remainder trust to UT Martin in memory of his mother, Lucille McWherter. The Lucille McWherter Scholarship Foundation benefits students attending the UTM campus. He also established a statewide Ned McWherter Scholars program, a competitive, merit-based grant for students attending Tennessee post-secondary institutions.