Texas A&M University President Gen. (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III congratulates Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker during a commencement ceremony at Reed Arena on Dec. 12. Crocker was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from Texas A&M during the ceremony. | Hannah Harrison / Texas A&M AgriLife
Texas A&M University awarded an honorary doctoral degree to Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker during a Dec. 12 commencement ceremony. Crocker is a noted figure in American diplomacy and widely regarded as the premier U.S. diplomat in the Middle East of his generation. He was honored for his nationally and internationally significant contributions to American foreign policy and international diplomacy.
“An honorary degree from Texas A&M is a huge distinction. It is rarely conferred and cannot be purchased by donations,” Crocker said. “It represents the spirit of selfless service that is a Core Value of A&M and the Bush School and is personified by our 41st president: ‘Let future generations understand the burden and blessings of freedom. Let them say we stood where duty required us to stand.’”
Crocker’s remarkable 37-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service spanned some of the most volatile and critical regions of the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Lebanon. His service included six U.S. ambassadorships, notably in Afghanistan (2011-2013), Iraq (2007-2009), and Pakistan (2004-2007), as well as key roles in Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon. As a senior diplomat, Crocker was instrumental in reopening the U.S. embassies in both Afghanistan and Lebanon, following critical moments in history — after the fall of the Taliban in 2002 and during the Lebanese Civil War in 1990.
In recognition of his service, Crocker was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2009, the nation’s highest civilian honor. He retired from the Foreign Service as a Career Ambassador, the highest rank within the U.S. State Department. Throughout his tenure, he received multiple prestigious awards, including the Department of Defense Award for Distinguished Civilian Service and the CIA’s Director’s Award.
In addition to his diplomatic work, Crocker served as the dean of Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service from 2010 to 2016. During his tenure, he oversaw significant growth in both student enrollment and endowment funding, further strengthening the school’s focus on public service and international relations. Under his leadership, the Bush School became a hub for students seeking to understand global diplomacy, particularly the complexities of the Middle East.
Crocker also made a lasting impact as a professor and mentor, teaching courses on American diplomacy in the Middle East and continuing to serve as a subject matter expert on Middle Eastern affairs after his departure. His numerous media appearances, op-eds, and testimony before Congress helped educate both the public and policymakers on the critical role of U.S. foreign policy in the region.
“Ambassador Crocker has made a huge impact to not only improve our nation, but also our world,” said John Sherman, dean of Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service. “All of us at the Bush School — faculty, students and staff — are so pleased that Ambassador Crocker is receiving this high honor.”
As a key figure in shaping American foreign policy and diplomacy, Ambassador Crocker’s contributions remain deeply felt across the globe, and his ongoing involvement in higher education ensures that his expertise will continue to influence future generations.
“My proudest memories are of my time at the Bush School, watching new generations acquire the skills and knowledge to serve in the tradition of President Bush, to go to hard places and do hard things,” Crocker said. “This is his real legacy, and I am very proud to be a small part of it.”
