Former Sen. George McGovern is to receive an honorary doctorate during the May 17 commencement at Drury University in Springfield, Mo.

The 85-year-old McGovern will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

The South Dakota native has served in the U.S. House and was a three-term U.S. senator.

McGovern has served as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Agencies in Rome and as U.N. global ambassador on world hunger.

His commencement speech is entitled "Ending Hunger in Our Time."

McGovern was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1972, losing to incumbent Richard Nixon.