Washington, DC, April 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Howard University today announced the 158th Commencement Convocation will take place on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 9:45 a.m., on the campus of the University. The Honorable Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington, D.C., will serve as the keynote speaker. The university will also confer honorary degrees on Mayor Bowser, Spelman College Interim President and Board Chair Emerita Rosalind Brewer, former CEO of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger, University of Detroit Mercy President Emeritus Antoine Garibaldi, Ph.D. (B.A. ’73)., and posthumously to the late gospel music icon Rev. Richard L. Smallwood (B.A. ’71, M.Div. ’04).
Approximately 3,000 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees are expected to be conferred on members of the Class of 2026, representing each of Howard’s 14 schools and colleges. Graduates will receive bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in dozens of majors. In addition to the May 9 ceremony, graduates will be celebrated at awards and recognition events specifically for each school and college during the previous week.
The Honorable Muriel Bowser, the seventh elected mayor of Washington, D.C., will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree. Bowser has a distinguished record of public service and leadership spanning more than two decades. A fifth-generation Washingtonian, she is only the second person elected three times as Washington D.C. mayor and the first African American woman elected to three four-year terms as mayor of a major American city. The African American Mayors Association named Bowser as the inaugural recipient of the Marion Barry Jr. Award for Public Service in 2023 and the Truman Center for National Policy recognized her with its 2021 Exceptional Moral Courage Award, further recognizing her enduring commitment to her city and its residents. A former Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and member of the D.C. Council, Bowser has advanced a bold urban policy agenda: strengthening DC’s economic competitiveness, accelerating affordable housing production, and guiding the city through the global pandemic with resolve. A steadfast champion of higher education, she has consistently supported policies and investments that expand opportunity and strengthen pathways to success.
Rosalind G. Brewer, Spelman College interim president and board chair emerita, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Brewer is a trailblazing corporate executive whose leadership redefined what is possible at the highest levels of American business. Across healthcare, retail, hospitality, and education, she has consistently delivered transformative results while opening doors for others to follow. Her service as president and CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, COO of Starbucks, president and CEO of Sam’s Club, and chair emerita of the Spelman College Board of Trustees reflects a career of uncommon impact and influence. Now serving as interim president of her alma mater Spelman College, Brewer continues to lead with purpose and a deep commitment to expanding opportunity through education.
Robert (Bob) Iger, immediate past CEO of The Walt Disney Company, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. For two decades, he has served in numerous leadership roles at the iconic company, including CEO, chairman of the board of directors, executive chairman, president and chief operating officer, and chairman of the ABC Group. Under his leadership, the company grew in scale and profitability with the establishment of a major streaming service and the acquisitions of Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox and was frequently named by Forbes as one of the “Most Reputable Companies” in the world and named by Fortune as one of the “World’s Most Admired Companies.” In 2023, Time named him one of the “100 Most Influential People” and featured him on the cover. A member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame, he wrote the New York Times best-selling book “The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of The Walt Disney Company.”
Antoine Garibaldi, Ph.D. (B.A. ’73), president emeritus and Distinguished University Professor at the University of Detroit Mercy, will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. He has authored 11 books and more than 100 research articles and book chapters on education and Black male academic achievement. The third longest-serving president of Detroit Mercy, Garibaldi was the Jesuit institution’s first layperson to serve as president and the first publicly acknowledged Black president of any Jesuit college since 1789. During Garibaldi’s 11 years as president, Detroit Mercy rose into the ranks of the top 200 U.S. News and World Report “Best National Universities.” He led $215 million in fundraising, added new programs, improved campus infrastructure, and acquired a new campus in Novi, Michigan. Prior to Detroit Mercy, Garibaldi served as president of Gannon University and provost and chief academic officer at Howard. He also served as chair of the Council of Independent Colleges. He graduate magna cum laude from Howard with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1973.
The Reverend Richard L. Smallwood (B.A. ’71, M.Div. ’04), gospel music icon, will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree posthumously. A founding member of the Howard Gospel Choir, Smallwood and his singing groups dominated the Gospel music charts for decades. He was inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame in 2006, and received four Dove Awards, seven Stellar Awards, and eight Grammy nominations. Through compositions such as “Total Praise,” and “The Center of My Joy,” and “I Love the Lord” – famously sang by Whitney Houston on “The Preacher’s Wife” movie soundtrack, he gave voice to unwavering faith and trust in God, even amid life’s greatest challenges. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard in 1971 and a Master of Divinity degree from Howard in 2004.
Please visit commencement.howard.edu to request media credentials and for more information about the Commencement ceremony and recognition ceremonies for each school and college.
About Howard University
Howard University, established in 1867, is a leading private research university based in Washington, D.C. Howard’s 14 schools and colleges offer 140 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs and lead the nation in producing African Americans with professional doctoral degrees. Howard is the top-ranked historically Black college or university according to Forbes, the only HBCU with an R1 research institution designation, and the only HBCU ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 National Universities. Renowned for its esteemed faculty, high achieving students, and commitment to excellence, leadership, truth and service, Howard produces distinguished alumni across all sectors, which have included the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice and the first woman U.S. vice president; a Nobel Prize laureate; Schwarzman, Marshall, Rhodes and Truman Scholars; prestigious fellows; and over 170 Fulbright recipients. Learn more at www.howard.edu.
- Howard University 2026 Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients