That's Dr. Jack White.

Wearing a cap and gown for the first time in his life, donned in the green-and-gold of Wayne State University, the Detroit-bred rock musician was awarded an honorary degree during a Friday commencement at the Fox Theatre.

"As a teenager, I was a busboy in this building, so it's nice to be back here for a different reason," White said during a brief speech after being conferred his doctor of humane letters by Kim Trent, a governor on the WSU board.

White noted that he hadn't even bothered to purchase graduation attire for his Cass Tech high school commencement in the early '90s.

"I didn't think the cap and gown was worth the money at the time," he said. "But I do like the way this looks now."

Watch Jack White receive his honorary doctorate from Wayne State

(You can scroll back several minutes to see the full introduction of Jack White by Wayne State President Roy Wilson.)

The White Stripes mastermind, Third Man Records founder and prolific musician was awarded a doctor of humane letters degree for "your dedication to the city of Detroit and your significant contribution to the arts," as WSU President Roy Wilson said in an introduction.

Wilson cited some of White's philanthropic works, including restoration of Clark Park in the rocker's native southwest Detroit neighborhood and the $142,000 donation that helped save the Masonic Temple from tax foreclosure.

White attended Wayne State briefly in 1994, paying for a handful of film classes and sneaking in to others because "I needed to learn more."

He cited an inspirational viewing of 1967's "The Graduate" during one of those sessions, most importantly its opening scene.

"I learned more from that one scene in 'The Graduate,' about expression and purpose, to last me a lifetime," White said.

The Friday morning Fox ceremony, primarily for students in the school's fine arts programs, was one of five WSU commencement events this week.

More:Jack White to receive honorary degree from Wayne State University

Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com.