Taylor Sheridan awarded two doctorates at TCU, Texas State, delivers commencement at UT
“Landman” co-creator Taylor Sheridan was awarded honorary doctoral degrees from two different Texas universities over the weekend.
In total, the Fort Worth native attended three different spring commencement ceremonies across the state in as many days. He was awarded doctorates at two of the ceremonies and gave a commencement speech at the other.
Sheridan’s first stop was in San Marcos on May 8 for Texas State University’s spring commencement, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters.
The creative was a theatre major at the university until he dropped out in 1991. In a brief speech, Sheridan detailed just how raucous his time was at Texas State in an anecdote about arriving to the ceremony by police escort.
“I recall how different this experience was than my last interaction with San Marcos PD,” Sheridan joked. “There were sirens still, I was just in the vehicle with them.”
Sheridan on his time at Texas State
After the police line got big laughs from the audience, Sheridan further detailed how he ultimately was kicked out of Texas State.
Sheridan said he and the dean of student justice, who is tasked with policing students that violate the code of conduct, knew each other well. At one point, Sheridan was brought into the university president’s office and was given a strong talking to.
“They said, ‘Taylor, this has been three years man, this just ain’t working out. We would like very much if you would leave,’,\” Sheridan recalled. “I said, ‘You’re kicking me out?’ And they said, ‘Yes, we are.’”
Sheridan then asked when he was able to come back and the university official said when he grows up.
“As you can see that took 28 more years, and now I’m here,” Sheridan said. “This is all to say the way you did it is much better.”
Sheridan awarded at TCU
Next stop on Sheridan’s collegiate weekend was at TCU on May 9 to pick up his honorary doctorate.
The degree comes after Sheridan filmed scenes at the Fort Worth university for “Landman” seasons 1 and 2. Sheridan made light of this in his brief speech after receiving his doctor of letters.
“You didn’t have to do all that studying, just shoot a TV show here,” Sheridan joked. “So much easier.”
After a big laugh from the crowd, Sheridan’s speech turned serious.
He told the students before him that the world is a completely blank canvas and they’re free to paint it as they see it or reshape the whole thing altogether. In closing, Sheridan offered advice about how rejection is a gift and it spares people from “wasting time with individuals incapable of understanding your vision.”
“Nod at their rejection, smile even, then prove them wrong,” Sheridan said. “Never look back for their reaction to your success, because they are exactly where they should be, squarely in your shadow.”
Sheridan gives commencement at UT Austin
Finally, Sheridan traveled to the University of Texas at Austin on May 10 to deliver the spring commencement speech.
Sheridan began his 10-minute speech by asking students if they ever wondered about if their achievements made their parents proud, all they need to do is look up in the stands. Thousands of people attended the ceremony, with some 11,000 students walking the stage.
The conversation then turned into a jab at the University of Oklahoma, which got huge applause from the burnt orange crowd.
Sheridan said he applied to UT Austin with his 2.2 GPA and 880 SAT score, but the school ultimately did not accept him. Although there was one university who sent him an acceptance letter.
“It should come as no surprise to anyone here that my 2.2 GPA and 880 SAT did garner me an acceptance letter from the University of Oklahoma,” Sheridan joked. The crowd then began chanting “OU sucks.”
While he was not a college graduate himself, Sheridan said it was an honor and “rather daunting” responsibility to address the leaders of tomorrow.
As he gazed upon the crowd, Sheridan said he’s looking at the future, whether that be in medicine, law or in civil service. These students could be future senators and representatives, maybe even governor, or perhaps a Super Bowl or Olympic champion.
“In short, I must wonder all the ways your achievements will impact my life, not to mention the impact that they will have on your own,” Sheridan said. “Today is the most free you will ever be.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2025 at 3:53 PM.
