The title is usually conferred on an individual who has attained distinction in their academic field and/or has contributed consistently and over a significant period of time to the life of the University.

• Sir Isambard Owen, D.C.L., LL.D., M.D. (1921)
• Emeritus Professor Edward Fawcett, M.D., C.M., F.R.S. (1938)
• Thomas Loveday, M.A., LL.D. (1946)
• Emeritus Professor A. M. Tyndall, C.B.E., D.Sc., LL.D., F.R.S. (1948)
• Emeritus Professor Andrew Robertson, D.Sc., F.R.S. (1949)
• Professor G. C. Field, M.A., D.Litt., F.B.A. (1952)
• Sir Philip Morris, K.C.M.G., C.B.E., M.A., LL.D., F.R.C.S., A.R.C.V.S. (1966)
• Sir Alec Merrison, D.L., B.Sc., Ph.D., D.Sc., LL.D., F.F.C.M., F.R.S. (1984)
• Emeritus Professor Charles Bruce Perry, M.D., F.R.C.P. (1985)
• Sir Reginald Verdon-Smith, D.L., M.A., B.C.L., D.Sc., LL.D. (1985)
• Joan Badock, M.A., LL.D. (1986)
• Emeritus Professor Sir Charles Frank, O.B.E., B.A., B.Sc., D.Phil., D.Sc., D.Univ., F.R.S. (1986)
• Emeritus Professor S. Körner, Jur.Dr., Ph.D., F.B.A. (1986)
• Emeritus Professor Sir Alfred Pugsley, O.B.E., D.Sc., D.Univ., F.R.S., F.I.C.E., F.I.Struct.E., F.R.Ae.S. (1986)
• Emeritus Professor Dorothy Hodgkin, O.M., M.A., Ph.D., D.Sc., Sc.D., D.Univ., LL.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.S. (1988)
• D. M. Borland, LL.D. (1989)
• Emeritus Professor A. Closs, M.A., D.Phil., D.Litt., F.R.S.L. (1989)
• Emeritus Professor W. McCausland Stewart, M.A., D.Litt. (1989)
• Emeritus Professor the Revd. K. Grayston, M.A., D.Litt. (1992)
• Emeritus Professor R. G. Chambers, M.A., Ph.D. (1994)
• Emeritus Professor G. W. G. Wickham, M.A., D.Phil., D.Litt. (1996)
• Emeritus Professor P. Haggett, C.B.E., M.A., Ph.D., Sc.D., D.Sc., LL.D., F.B.A. (1998)
• Sir Michael Angus, M.A., D.Sc. (1998)
• Professor Sir John Kingman, M.A., Sc.D., D.Sc., D.Phil., LL.D., C.Stat., F.R.S. (2001)
• Professor B. T. Pickering, B.Sc., Ph.D., D.Sc., Hon. M.D. (2002)
• Sir Jeremy Morse, K.C.M.G., M.A., D.Litt., D.Sc., LL.D. (2003)
• Emeritus Professor Sir Anthony Epstein Kt, C.B.E., F.R.S., M.A., M.D., D.Sc., Ph.D., F.R.C.Path. (2006)
• Dr Stella Clarke (2008)
• Dr John Moger Woolley (2014)
• Professor Jeffrey C Watkins, FRS, FMedSci (2015)
• Professor Sir Eric Jackson Thomas (2015)
• Professor Sir Angus S Deaton (2016)
• The Rt Hon. the Baroness Hale of Ricmond, DBE (2017)
• Professor Sir Michael Berry, FRS (2017)
• Denis Burn (2022)