PRINCETON, New Jersey (AP) – Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron can add an honorary degree from Princeton University to his trophy case.

The former home run record-holder was awarded an honorary doctorate of humanities for making America a better place with his “imperishable example of grace under pressure.”

The university cited how he kept his cool while pursuing Babe Ruth’s home run record nearly 40 years ago.

Princeton keeps its list of honorary degree recipients secret until the commencement ceremony. University President Shirley Tilghman gave the address, as she usually does.

The five others granted honorary degrees during Tuesday’s ceremony are children’s advocate Geoffrey Canada, clinical researcher and University of California-San Francisco chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann, former Princeton history professor Charles Gillispie, dancer and choreographer Judith Jamison and legal expert Robert Rawson Jr.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.