1909 – Howard University's First Black President, Dr. Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, Graduates from University of Chicago

On May 13, 1909, Mordecai Wyatt Johnson earned his master\’s degree from the University of Chicago, marking a major milestone in his rise to become a transformative Black educator. In 1926, he became the first Black president of Howard University, where he served for 34 years. Johnson significantly expanded the university’s academic programs and positioned Howard as a key intellectual hub for African Americans. Under his leadership, Howard produced future legal giants such as Thurgood Marshall and became deeply involved in civil rights litigation. Johnson was a gifted orator and theological scholar whose speeches tackled racism, economic injustice, and the moral failures of American democracy. His early academic achievements, like his 1909 graduation, laid the foundation for a lifetime of service to Black higher education. May 13 highlights a pivotal step in the journey of a man who helped shape 20th-century Black excellence.