— Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow attended Bacone College when it was a boarding school 82 years ago.

Medicine Crow received highest honors from Bacone at Saturday’s 2010 Commencement Ceremonies — an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.

Medicine Crow came to Bacone in 1929, his son Ronald Medicine Crow said. Medicine Crow’s determination helped him outlast many of the other Crow students that dropped out and went back home.

“He was determined to get an education with the support of his family, tribal elders, grandparents and the encouragement of Rev. Dr. Petzel from, the First Crow Indian Baptist Church,” Medicine Crow's son said about his 96-year-old father. “He was a pioneer; his own role model because he didn't have anyone else to lead the way.”

Medicine Crow holds four honorary doctorate degrees — from Bacone College, University of Southern California, University of Montana, and Rocky Mountain College as well as the masters degree he earned in 1939.

In Crow tradition, and many other Northern Plain Indian's tradition, three is considered an incomplete number, his son Ronald said.

“Because of the four cardinal directions, four elements of nature, four seasons, and four military requirements to become a war chief,” Ronald said, “this degree completes his accomplishments.”

In addition to the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded him in August 2009, Medicine Crow's tribal elders recognized the WWII veteran just after the war as a “war chief” and he is now the last surviving war chief of the Crow tribe.

Medicine Crow achieved the status by meeting the traditional four requirements during a time of war, but in modern warfare — including stealing 50 Nazi officer's horses.

The board of trustees of Bacone College recently implemented a new goal, to prepare national American Indian leadership students to be future and successful leaders.

“What better way to focus that new goal than to honor a man who has demonstrated that leadership,” Bacone President the Rev. Dr. Robert J. Duncan Jr. said.

In addition to Medicine Crow, chair of the Bacone board of trustees Ann Barker Ong also received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for her work in helping Bacone become accreditation partners with two-year degree program Native American colleges, Duncan said.

Harold Rittenhouse was awarded an honorary Master of Human Letters as well for his missionary work both around the world and on the Bacone campus.

“His faithfulness is not only a service to Bacone, but a source of inspiration to the campus he has become a part of through his mission work here,” Duncan said.

Once the honorary degrees were awarded, 160 Bacone students received their degrees and were honored by Medicine Crow himself.

The war chief and honorary graduate of Bacone College sang a traditional Native song to “sing the praises of the new graduates” before sending them out in the world with their newly earned diplomas.