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San José State University​

George Skelton has made a significant impact on journalism in California and the United States throughout his career as a political columnist and journalist. The contributions of his distinguished career represent the ideals of the California State University and San José State University.

Mr. Skelton has written about government and politics for more than 50 years. An Ojai native, he started writing for a weekly newspaper in high school, worked 30 hours a week at a newspaper while attending junior college and wrote for the Sacramento Union after transferring to San José State in 1957.

Upon graduating in 1959 with his Bachelor of Science in journalism, Mr. Skelton covered sports in San Francisco. He moved to Sacramento in 1961, where he has since written extensively about capitol politics and government. Since 1974, Mr. Skelton has contributed to the Los Angeles Times, serving as a Sacramento bureau chief and a White House correspondent. His twice-weekly column, “Capitol Journal,” has run since 1993.

In December 2011, the Sacramento Press Club honored Mr. Skelton’s 50 years of California reporting with acknowledgments by former governors George Deukmejian and Gray Davis, and former NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw.

Through his commitment to quality reporting, Mr. Skelton epitomizes Spartan pride. In recognition of his outstanding accomplishments and dedication, the California State University Board of Trustees and San José State University are proud to confer upon Mr. George Skelton the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters.