I just learned, over at DegreeDiscussion, that Shaquille O'Neal just earned his doctorate from Barry University. Yay for him. And I find myself wondering if he is now the tallest person ever with an earned accredited doctorate? (And, of course, I wonder who's the shortest. Robert Reich, possibly?)
There's Dr. J, but he is only 6'7" to Shaq's 7'1". Plus his doctorates (from Temple and UMass) are honorary.
How about this guy, who advertises himself as the "World's Tallest Chiropractor" ? He claims to be 7'2", which would make him an inch taller than Shaq. He holds an earned Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree from Sherman College of Chiropractic (in South Carolina). The school is regionally accredited by SACS; it is also professionally accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE), which is recognized by both CHEA and USDoE. So he appears to be taller than Shaq, and appears to have an earned accredited doctorate.
Another possible candidate: Clifford Thompson was one of the tallest people in US history, supposedly more than 8 feet tall. He earned a law degree from Marquette University in 1944, and subsequently practiced law in multiple states. His law degree was probably an LL.B., but the LL.B. is equivalent to today's J.D.; the degree was simply "rebranded". Many older attorneys (including members of the US Supreme Court) hold LL.B. degrees, rather than J.D. degrees; there is no functional difference.
