Kennedy was presented the degree more than 50 years after his graduation from Harvard College, WBZ-TV reported.

"This is a very special time and special honor so I am looking forward to it," he told the Boston TV station as he headed into Sanders Theater to accept the honorary degree.

On the dais, he said he was "moved and deeply grateful to my university."

In presenting it to him, Harvard President Drew Faust called Kennedy "dauntless sailing against the winds" and "a statesman for all seasons."

Kennedy was to have been honored last spring for what it called his lifelong commitment to public service and work on social issues such as civil rights, healthcare, employment and education. But it was postponed when it was learned he had brain cancer.

The only others to be honored by Harvard in special convocations have been President George Washington, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandella.

Among those in the audience who gave him a standing ovation were Vice President-elect Joe Biden, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and members of his family. Cellist Yo Yo Ma performed at the event.