Gonzalez ang degree na Doctor of Humane Letters , honoris causa , at sinabi na ito ay " For his creative genius in shaping the Philippine short story and novel , and making a new clearing within the English idiom and tradition on which he established an authentic vocabulary , ... for his insightful criticism by which he advanced the literary tradition of the Filipino and enriched the vocation for all writers of the present generation ... for his visions and auguries by which he gave the Filipino sense and sensibility a profound and unmistakable script read and reread throughout the international community of letters ... ".
