Distinguished Graduate Award Program

Announcing the 2025 DGA Recipients!

Click image above to learn more about these amazing alumni.

The Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA) program honors living U.S. Naval Academy graduates who have made a distinctive contribution to their field or community and have demonstrated sustained, active support for the Naval Academy, Naval Academy Alumni Association, Naval Academy Foundation, or affiliate groups. Each year up to four graduates are chosen from a field of candidates nominated by their alumni peers for this, the highest honor the Alumni Association bestows on a living graduate and selected by the DGA Selection Panel, chaired by Admiral Harry Harris ’78, USN (Ret.). Recipients receive a medal awarded in Alumni Hall each spring. 

See the full list of DGA recipients by class year and by ceremony year including 2024.

Recent DGA IN Memoriam:

Distinguished Graduate (2000) Maj Gen William A. Anders ’55, USAFR (Ret.)

Distinguished Graduate (2014) Lt Gen Thomas P. Stafford '52, USAF (Ret.)

Distinguished Graduate (2009) ADM Bruce DeMars '57, USN (Ret.)

DGA Program Guidelines, Criteria, and Description

DGA Program Guidelines and Selection Criteria (PDF)