--- description: He received the honor in 1985 title: Brown University Revokes Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbad00e6f56e09611/6988639b0b72e351966e5d0b/bill-cosby1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Education](/tag/education/) ## Education Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Brown University Rescinds Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree ## Video: Know Right Now: Bill Cosby Will Go To Trial [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: Bill Cosby Will Go To Trial](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/6ueluHOc.m3u8) (1:01)  _Published 2015-07-23. The Supreme Court cleared the way for one of the sexual assault cases against Bill Cosby to go to trial. The case going to trial was levied by Judy Huth._ by [Sarah Begley](/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 29, 2015 1:11 AM CUT  Comedian/actor Bill Cosby performs at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, on September 26, 2014 Comedian/actor Bill Cosby performs at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, on September 26, 2014Ethan Miller—Getty Images by [Sarah Begley](/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 29, 2015 1:11 AM CUT Brown University has become the latest institution to [rescind](http://www.browndailyherald.com/2015/09/28/brown-university-revokes-bill-cosbys-honorary-degree/ "undefined") an honorary degree given to Bill Cosby. The comedian has come under increased scrutiny in the last year as accusations that he sexually assaulted dozens of women over the course of his career were widely reported. Brown University, which bestowed the honor on Cosby in 1985, said in an email to students that he no longer lived up to the school’s expectations, the Brown Daily _Herald_ reports. “It has become clear,” wrote Brown President Christina Paxson, “by his own admission in legal depositions that became public this summer, that Mr. Cosby has engaged in conduct with women that is contrary to the values of Brown.” Paxson referred to depositions obtained by the [Associated Press](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6d90b1f473f147ed9f0048f9e9ac2287/apnewsbreak-cosby-said-he-got-drugs-give-women-sex "undefined") in which Cosby admitted to procuring quaaludes to give to women he wanted to have sex with. Brown joins several other universities that have recently rescinded honorary degrees from Cosby, including [Fordham](http://time.com/4048990/fordham-university-rescinds-bill-cosbys-honorary-degree/ "undefined"); that decision prompted Cosby’s lawyer to write a letter calling the move “so irresponsible as to shock the conscience,” according to [_People_](http://www.people.com/article/bill-cosby-attorney-blasts-fordham-university "undefined"). Cosby’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. \[[_Brown Daily Herald_](http://www.browndailyherald.com/2015/09/28/brown-university-revokes-bill-cosbys-honorary-degree/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4053283/brown-university-bill-cosby/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4053283/brown-university-bill-cosby/"},"headline":"Brown University Rescinds Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree","datePublished":"2015-09-29T01:11:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T11:20:26.782Z","description":"He received the honor in 1985","url":"https://time.com/4053283/brown-university-bill-cosby/","keywords":["Education","Bill Cosby topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbad00e6f56e09611/6988639b0b72e351966e5d0b/bill-cosby1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sarah Begley","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbad00e6f56e09611/6988639b0b72e351966e5d0b/bill-cosby1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Bill Cosby","caption":"Bill Cosby","creditText":"Ethan Miller—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/education/","name":"Education"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4053283/brown-university-bill-cosby/","name":"Brown University Rescinds Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Know Right Now: Bill Cosby Will Go To Trial","description":"The Supreme Court cleared the way for one of the sexual assault cases against Bill Cosby to go to trial. 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