HOWARD UNIVERSITY CHARTER
President Andrew Johnson signs the Howard University charter on March 2, 1867.
Howard University's CharterHoward has long been the prototypical opportunity University, with an unwavering commitment to the words inscribed on the alma mater’s original seal, which reads “equal rights and knowledge for all.”
Remember the time to act, learn, give, serve and excel at Howard always has been, and will always be, now. In the words of James Baldwin:
"There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now."
--President Wayne A. I. Frederick--
Enter the Timeline!Abolitionist and civil rights activist Frederick Douglass is elected to the Howard University Board of Trustees. He serves from 1871-1895.
With her nine classmates, Charlotte E. Ray participates in the Law Department Commencement at First Congregational Church and becomes the first African American woman to graduate from any law school in the U.S. She later became the first woman admitted to the District of Columbia Bar and also the first woman admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of D.C.
Edward Parmlee Smith is appointed as the fourth president of Howard University on December 15, 1875. Smith dies on June 15, 1876 during a trip to Africa for the American Missionary Association.
From April 25, 1877 to December 31, 1889, William W. Patton serves as Howard University's fifth president.
President Patton's Inaugural AddressThe Howard University College of Dentistry is founded in 1881. It is the fifth oldest dental school in the United States.
Learn more about the College of DentistryJeremiah Eames Rankin became Howard University's 6th president on January 1, 1890 and served until February 24, 1903. Rankin Chapel, one of the University's oldest buildings, is named in honor of President Rankin's brother Andrew Rankin.
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams is appointed surgeon-in-chief of Freedman’s Hospital and reorganizes it into two separate departments: medical and surgical. Dr. Williams served in this position until 1898. During his tenure, he established the hospital's school for nurses. Dr. Williams was a co-founder of the National Medical Association in 1895, and in 1913 he became the only African American charter member of the American College of Surgeons.
More information about Dr. Daniel Hale Williams and his work
Andrew Evarts Rankin Chapel is constructed in 1895. It is dedicated to Andrew Rankin, the brother of President Jeremiah Rankin. Members of the Rankin family contributed a portion of the building fund.
John Gordon becomes the seventh president of Howard University. He serves from May 26, 1903 until June 30, 1906.
Howard University's eighth president, Wilbur Patterson Thirkield, serves from September 1, 1906 to June 30, 1912. Thirkield Hall, the physics building, is named in his honor.
Dr. Ernest E. Just, renowned cell biologist, joins the Howard University faculty. He serves from 1907-1940. During his tenure, Dr. Just initiated the master’s degree program in zoology at Howard University, and served as faculty advisor to the founding chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
Learn more about Dr. Ernest JustAlpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is founded on January 15, 1908 at Howard University and becomes the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African-American college women.
More about Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc.Freedmen’s Hospital construction is completed.
Construction of Thirkield Science Hall is completed.
On November 17, 1911, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity is founded at Howard University by undergraduate students Edgar A. Love, Oscar J. Cooper, and Frank Coleman in the office of their faculty advisor, biology Professor Ernest E. Just.
About Omega Psi PhiStephen M. Newman serves as Howard University's ninth president from July 1, 1912 until June 30, 1918.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority is founded on January 13, 1913 at Howard University.
More information about the founders of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity is founded on January 9, 1914 at Howard University by students A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I. Brown.
Phi Beta SigmaJoseph Hunter Brooks'16 and Frederick DeWitt Malone'16 compose the Howard University “Alma Mater” .
The Howard University Alma MaterHoward University celebrates the semi-centennial of its founding. The theme of the 50th anniversary celebration is “The Significance of the Fifty Years of the History of Howard University, and the Advancement of the Colored Race with which it is Connected.”
James Durkee serves as Howard University's tenth president from July 1, 1918 until June 30, 1926.
Howard University’s Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is established on February 3, 1919.
On January 16, 1920, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority is founded at Howard University.
Howard University receives accreditation by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges in November 1921. It has maintained full accreditation since then.
More Information about the History of Middle States Accreditation.Prof. William Leo Hansberry of the History Department begins to offer “not only a distinctive feature at Howard University, but also a new departure in the educational world” – courses focusing on civilizations of ancient Africa. Three courses comprised Hansberry’s inaugural program: “Negro Peoples in the Civilizations of the Prehistoric and Ancient World”, “Negro Civilizations in East Central Africa from the Eighth Century B.C. until the End of the Sixteenth Century".
The Howard University Gallery of Art is established, by action of the Board of Trustees to “make revolving exhibitions of contemporary arts and crafts available for visitation and study to students.” The Gallery formally opens with a travelling exhibition of oil paintings, watercolors, and drawings assembled and circulated by the College Art Association of America.
VISIT THE GALLERY OF ARTCharles Hamilton Houston is appointed dean of the Howard University School of Law. During his tenure, he mentored Thurgood Marshall and a generation of outstanding civil rights lawyers.
Thurgood Marshall graduates from the Howard University School of Law. He goes on to become the leading civil rights attorney in the United States. In 1967, he is appointed to the United States Supreme Court by President Lyndon Johnson.
Dr. Eric Williams joins the faculty of Howard University. He is appointed assistant professor of Social Science and Political Science. In 1962, Dr. Williams became the first prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Division of Social Work becomes the School of Social Work through the approval of the Board of Trustees on October 24, 1944. Dr. Inabel Lindsay is the founding dean.
More Information about the School of Social Work.Toni Morrison graduates from the College of Liberal Arts (B.A. ’53). Prof Morrison serves on the faculty of the English Department at Howard University from 1957-64. She receives the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. She is awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2000 and Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
View Toni Morrison's Address at Howard University's 128th Charter Day ConvocationJames Madison Nabrit serves as the 12th Howard University President from July 1,1960 to June 30, 1969.
Dr. Nabrit's Address at the University's 93rd ConvocationHoward University celebrates its 100th year. The centennial theme is “The University in a Changing Society.”
The School of Nursing is established in 1968. The name of the unit is changed to the College of Nursing in 1974. It is merged into College of Pharmacy, Nursing & Allied Health Sciences in 1997. The College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences is established as a single unit in 2011.
Learn about the College of Nursing and Allied Health SciencesJames Cheek becomes the thirteenth president of Howard University. With a tenure of 20 years (July 1, 1969-June 30, 1989), President Cheek was the university's second-longest serving president and also its youngest elected president at age 36. During Dr. Cheek's presidency, the University expanded fromm 11 schools and colleges to 18, and grew from one campus to five.
The Cheek Era at Howard (1969-89)The Howard University Cancer Center is established by action of the Board of Trustees. The study of cancer at Howard University began in the early 1950s when Dr. Jack E. White founded the Tumor Clinic in Freedmen's Hospital. The mission of the center continues to be the reduction of cancer mortality in the African Americn community.
Visit the website of the Howard University CancerThe Moorland-Spingarn Research Center is established at Howard University. Dr. Michael R. Winston is the first director. MSRC is named after the donors of two large collections of publications about Black people—Jesse Moorland, a graduate of the Howard University Theological Department and member of the University’s Board of Trustees; and Arthur Spingarn, lawyer, activist, and head of the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People.
Learn more about the Moorland Spingarn Research Center.Howard Plaza Towers West and East are constructed.
Franklyn Jenifer is selected as the 14th President of Howard University (April 1, 1990-June 30, 1994). Dr. Jenifer is the first Howard University alumnus to serve.
H. Patrick Sywgert is selected as Howard University's 15th president (August 1, 1995-June 8, 2008).
The University opens the Information Laboratory (iLab) at the Technology Center. The facility features 200 computer work stations, and is open 24 hours.
The Howard University Middle School of Science and Mathematics opens.
More about the Howard University Middle School of Science and MathematicsSelected as 16th president of Howard University, Sidney A. Ribeau serves from August 1, 2008 until December 31, 2013.
Dr. Ribeau's InaugurationAfter serving as Provost and Chief Academic Officer for more than a year, Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick was selected as Howard University’s interim president in October 2013. On July 21, 2014, the Board of Trustees voted to appoint Dr. Frederick as Howard’s 17th president, after a unanimous recommendation by the University's Presidential Search Committee.
About President FrederickHoward University celebrates the 150th year of its founding.
The HU Sesquicentennial Website
Howard University has enjoyed a storied past. Founded in the immediate post-Civil War era with the aim to provide for the “education of youth in the liberal arts and sciences,” its impact over the last century-and-a-half has been felt globally, as it provided leadership in scholarly achievement, the professions, creative expression and the pursuit of social justice. The University has been the training ground for citizens of the world and a center for the collection, study and dissemination of knowledge pertaining especially to peoples of African descent. Its contributions to humankind have been immeasurable; its commitment to “truth and service” unwavering. That rich legacy will continue to inspire future generations to be distinguished servant leaders and professionals in their respective fields of study.