UF awards Gainesville music legend Tom Petty a posthumous doctorate in music
UF awards Gainesville music legend Tom Petty a posthumous doctorate in music
WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | By Associated Press
December 4, 2021
Nearly two decades after earning a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and more than four years after his death, rock icon Tom Petty has been awarded a honorary Ph.D. from the University of Florida.
The school’s board of trustees unanimously voted to award Thomas Earl Petty a posthumous doctoral degree in music during a Friday meeting.
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Born and raised in Gainesville, Petty once worked as a groundskeeper at UF as he tried to make it in the music industry, but he was never enrolled.
His "I Won't Back Down" is a signature rallying point at UF athletic events.
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UF awards Tom Petty a posthumous doctorate in music
UF awards Tom Petty a posthumous doctorate in music
The late music icon can now be remembered as Dr. Tom Petty.
December 3, 3021
In addition to a sidewalk star in Hollywood and a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the late Tom Petty’s accolades now include an honorary doctorate from the University of Florida.
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University provost Joseph Glover read a motion to award Thomas Earl Petty, the Gainesville-born rock icon who died in 2017, a posthumous doctoral degree in music.
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The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has a new exhibit about Tom Petty and the Wallflowers album starting this month.
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers: Exhibit + Events | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame