Beyond the Yard- Feature Story Summer Issue 2024
End of the Year Spotlight
By Lauren Ivey
Throughout the fiscal year, Howard University’s Development & Alumni Relations department proudly fueled its mission to maintain excellence in truth and service and foster growth. Our collective efforts have driven impactful change, supporting scholarships, enhancing facilities and empowering our students to achieve their dreams. As we close out the year, we remain steadfast in our commitment to philanthropic work, ensuring Howard operates at maximum strength. We would like to share some significant highlights from the 2023–2024 academic year.
- Howard welcomed the Class of 2027 — 2,268 new Bison.
- Ben Vinson III, PhD, provost and executive vice president at Case Western Reserve University, was inaugurated as Howard University’s 18th president. He succeeds Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, who served as Howard’s president from 2014–2023.
- The Hilltop, founded by Zora Neale Hurston and Louis E. King in 1924, celebrated its 100th birthday. This is the nation’s oldest Black collegiate newspaper.
- Alternative Spring Break — 2,100 students served in more than 25 cities around the world.
- Howard celebrated its 157th Charter Day and 100th Charter Day Dinner, raising $1.1 million from alumni, friends and sponsors.
- Stacey Abrams, Esq., joined the faculty as the inaugural Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics.
- Sherrilyn Ifill, civil rights attorney, was appointed as the inaugural Vernon E. Jordan Jr., Esq. Endowed Chair in Civil Rights.
- Former lieutenant governor of Maryland and former chair of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele, was named the 2023–2024 Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair in Public Policy.
- Nikole Hannah-Jones and the Center for Journalism and Democracy announced their inaugural Visiting Professorship program.
- The men’s basketball team is the 2023–2024 MEAC Champion and earned a place in the NCAA Tournament.
- The Bison men’s football team triumphed in the MEAC Championship and competed for the first time in its history at the Cricket Celebration Bowl.
- The women’s track and field team won the MEAC Indoor Championship for the third time in a row.
- The men’s hurdle squad was ranked No. 1 in the nation by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
- The men’s golf team won its first Northeast Conference (NEC) title in April.
Your generosity is the cornerstone of our progress, so together, let’s build a brighter future for Howard University. Please give today and be a part of our legacy of excellence.