TOP names from the world of sport feature on a list of people to be honoured by Huddersfield University.
Ken Davy, owner of Huddersfield Town and Huddersfield Giants, and professional golfer Parnell Reilly are among the recipients of this year’s Huddersfield University Honorary Awards.
Mr Davy is to be given an honorary doctorate of business administration (Hon DBA).
The 66-year-old, who left school at 15 with no qualifications, set up a commercial photography business in Huddersfield at 21 before joining Abbey Life in 1971.
In 1979 he formed independent financial advice company DBS, which he sold in June 2001 for £75m.
Two years later he set up SimplyBiz, providing development, research and marketing services to financial advisers.
He took over as chairman of Huddersfield Giants in 1996.
In 2003 he led a successful consortium that took over Huddersfield Town when they were in administration following the collapse of ITV Digital and the club’s relegation to the Football League’s bottom division.
Mr Reilly will receive an honorary doctorate of civil laws (Hon DCL). The Bradley Park man, who has been a professional for about 40 years, was appointed captain of the Professional Golfers Association earlier this year.
Other Huddersfield names who will join 6,000 university graduates at ceremonies in November include journalist brother and sister Hilary and Martin Wainwright and voluntary worker Richard Smith.
Martin is the Guardian newspaper’s northern editor. Hilary is editor of left-wing magazine Red Pepper.
They are son and daughter of Richard Wainwright, former Liberal Democrat MP for the Colne Valley, who died in 2003.
They are both to receive an honorary doctorate of letters (Hon DLitt).
Also on the list is voluntary worker Richard Smith.
Mr Smith, 44, who was born with cerebral palsy, is vice chairman of Scope in Huddersfield and a board member of Connect Housing, which covers Kirklees and Leeds.
He also works on the social work degree course at the university, carrying out disability quality training and helping to interview potential students.
He will receive a Hon DCL.
Other honorary graduands are Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire Dr Ingrid Roscoe and Deputy Lord-Lieutenant Prof John Tarrant.
Engineer Prof Kel Filder, who has served on the Institution of Electrical Engineers and is vice Chancellor of Northumbria University, and Prof Bob Edwards, who pioneered IVF research, are also on the list.
Dr Rob Perks, one of the UK’s foremost oral history archivists at the British Library ad 2005 British Fashion Awards Designer of the Year Christopher Bailey will be honoured.
The university’s Barnsley Campus will make and award to poet Ian McMillan and folk singer Kate Rusby. The Oldham campus will present an award to Paul Walsh, chief executive of premium drinks business Diageo plc.
Retiring Huddersfield academics Profs Brendan Evans, David Little, John Gunn and David Smith will become emeritus professors. Dr Trevor Butt will become an emeritus reader.
