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Los Angeles

George H. Takei is a highly accomplished actor, author and director who is a charismatic champion for the arts, community engagement and social justice. Best known for playing the character Mr. Sulu on the original, award-winning television series Star Trek, Mr. Takei’s onscreen work in film and theatre has spanned more than five decades. His many achievements in the arts are matched by his profound accomplishments in civil rights and social justice.

Mr. Takei has more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television guest-star roles to his credit. He boasts more than 9.7 million fans on Facebook, and he has often used the platform to advocate on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.

Mr. Takei, who lived in the Boyle Heights neighborhood near California State University, Los Angeles, was sent with his family to two internment camps during World War II. He spent most of his childhood at Camp Rohwer, in the swamps of Arkansas, and Camp Tule Lake, on a scrub-covered plain in northern California.  After returning to Los Angeles, Mr. Takei earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Theater from UCLA.

A former board member of the Southern California Rapid Transit District, Mr. Takei was a driving force behind the Arts in Transit program that led to each Los Angeles Metro station having its own distinctive artwork. President Bill Clinton appointed Mr. Takei to the board of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission. In honor of his efforts to improve relationships between the U.S. and Japan, Mr. Takei received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, from Emperor Akihito.

In recognition of his distinguished career, his contributions to the arts, and his role as an advocate for social justice, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University, Los Angeles are proud to confer upon George H. Takei the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.