Howard University is a leading private Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Washington, D.C. The University announced on February 10 that it will be honoring esteemed Howard alumna and award-winning winning novelist Toni Morrison with an endowed chair.
The Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities will be established with $3 million from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott’s life-changing gift to the University. Howard President Wayne A. I. Frederick had this to say:
It is with great honor that we establish the Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities. Toni Morrison left her mark as one of the greatest figures in American literature, and her legacy is one that continues to inspire future generations of writers and thinkers. By establishing an endowed chair in her name, we hope to deepen our students’ exposure to literary and other creative arts and to continue to remember Ms. Morrison’s legacy.
The honored chairholder will be given to an eminent faculty member who is recognized as both a national and international leader in his/her field of scholarship or creative work. They will have a history of academic and creative impact that reflects the esteemed career of Morrison. The chosen chairholder will help to raise Howard University’s scholarship and creative work across arts and humanities.
In addition, the Chair in Arts and Humanities will foster a brilliant intellectual community in the arts and humanities. They will collaborate with faculty across disciplines to oversee the development of an Arts & Humanities Leadership Laboratory.
The laboratory will position the arts and humanities department at Howard University to be leaders in addressing vexing social issues and push forward new possibilities for fulfillment. It will also prepare future alums for leadership roles in an increasingly diverse America.
Morrison was a Nobel Laureate who received several other honors. In 2012, she received the highest civilian honor from President Barack Obama, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She authored almost a dozen novels, several critical essays, and children’s books.
In 1953, she received her bachelor’s degree in English from Howard University and in 1955, went on to earn her master’s degree from Cornell University. In 1958, Morrison returned to Howard to teach English. While she was there she had a tremendous impact on her students.
She was born Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison in Lorain, Ohio on Feb. 18, 1931. She died on Aug. 5, 2019, in Montefiore Hospital, New York, N.Y.
Written by Jeanette Vietti
Sources:
The Dig: Howard University Establishes Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities; by Misha Cornelius
Forbes: Howard University Establishing An Endowed Chair In Honor Of Toni Morrison; by Michael T. Nietzel
Google: Toni Morrison
Featured and Top Image by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO Courtesy of West Point – The U.S. Military Academy’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Rosmarie Voegtli’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
