Bob Barker has been named an honorary fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics for his “exceptional contributions to the protection of animals.”
The former Price Is Right host is the first person from the entertainment industry selected for the honor, which has been given to Nobel Laureates, philanthropists, academics and others who have worked on behalf of animal welfare.
The award acknowledges Barker’s efforts to encourage the teaching of animal law at colleges and universities.
“Almost single-handedly, Bob’s sagacity and generosity have — in little more than a decade — propelled animals from being a marginal issue into the academic mainstream,” said professor Andrew Linzey, founder and director of the Oxford Centre. “This is a colossal achievement.”
Among the schools that now teach animal law because of Barker are Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, Georgetown and Barker’s alma mater Drury University, where he has endowed a chair in animal rights.
Barker, the longtime animal activist who hosted The Price Is Right from 1972-2007, ended each show with the phrase, “Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.”
