The status of honorary degree programs among major state universities was studied. From a list of public institutions known to have awarded honorary degrees in the recent past, several were selected for interviews relative to their policies and practices in selection and award. The list and a summary of interviews with representatives of 15 major universities are appended. In a followup survey, senior academic officers of honorary degree-granting institutions were asked their perceptions of the value of their programs. No pattern related to type or prestige of the institution was found for institutions having an honorary degree program. Among those having such a program, honorary degrees awarded by faculty for scholarly excellence were well regarded, while nonacademic honorary degrees were viewed often as being more trouble than their worth to the institution. Information is presented on the results of telephone surveys with the following institutions: Michigan State University, Louisiana State University, North Carolina State University, University of Maryland, University of Georgia, University of Florida, Purdue University, University of Missouri, University of Arizona, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and the University of Virginia. At the University of Virginia, tradition is that honorary degrees are not awarded. The University of Georgia system awards honorary degrees only to a U.S. President who has attended one of the colleges or universities of the system. The other schools do award honorary degrees, although the frequency and criteria for awards differ. (SW)