Toby Keith will posthumously receive an honorary degree from the University of Oklahoma, located in the late country legendâs home state.
âToby was an avid OU sports fan and longtime donor,â reads the caption on a post on Keithâs Instagram account announcing his honorary degree. The âShouldâve Been A Cowboyâ star will be honored at the University of Oklahoma commencement ceremony next month.
The University of Oklahoma announced the âfour outstanding individualsâ who will receive honorary degrees this year. Others include educator, economist and activist Barbara Ann Posey Jones, founder of Loveâs Travel Stops and university supporter Tom E. Love, and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient for his work on Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 spacecraft missions David Proctor, according to a press release posted by the University of Oklahoma earlier this week.
âThrough their exceptional talents, transformative leadership and unwavering commitment to serving others, each of this yearâs Honorary Degree recipients has left an indelible mark on the world,â University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz Jr. said in a statement. âTheir profound dedication has touched countless lives, and we take great pride in conferring the universityâs highest honor upon them.â
Keith âpassed peacefully last night on Feb. 5 surrounded by his family,â following a years-long battle with stomach cancer that he fought âwith grace and courage,â per a statement posted to the singer-songwriterâs social media pages the early morning hours of February 6. He was 62. The Songwriters Hall of Famer and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee was honored in tributes across the country music community, including Carrie Underwood, Brooks & Dunn, Terri Clark, Zach Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Luke Combs, Darius Rucker, Jake Owen and many others. His children, who represented him at the 2024 CMT Music Awards earlier this month, remembered him as their âhero.â