Tom Petty Posthumously Awarded Ph.D.

Two decades after earning his place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Tom Petty has finally graduated.

The University of Florida Board of Trustees has unanimously awarded Petty with an honorary Ph.D. Petty was born and raised in the university’s backyard of Gainesville, Florida. While struggling as a musician early in his career, Petty worked as a university groundskeeper before moving his band to California.

Fittingly, Petty was awarded his doctoral degree in music by the same institution that played “I Won’t Back Down” days after his accidental drug overdose in 2017. The song has since become a staple at UF Florida Gators football games.

Along with his group The Heartbreakers, Tom Petty inspired generations of songwriters with his canon of rock and roll classics selling more than 80 million copies. His hits are too numerous to mention, though this time of year wouldn’t sound the same without his modern Christmas classic “Christmas All Over Again.”