Dean Phylicia Rashad appointed inaugural holder of the Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities

Dear Howard University Community, 

Today we announce the appointment of Phylicia Rashad, Dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, as the inaugural holder of the Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities. 

Dean Rashad returned to our beloved Alma Mater in July 2021 and immediately went to work making her impact felt on both the reestablished College of Fine Arts and the University at-large. A 1970 alumna of our institution, she served as a trustee, guest lecturer, and adjunct faculty member on various occasions prior to her appointment as dean, inspiring and cultivating the artists and leaders who have shaped our niche and national cultures for generations to come. Her extensive credentials onstage, onscreen, and in the classroom prove that Dean Rashad’s commitment to excellence in scholarship and the performing arts is unparalleled. 

As Toni Morrison Chair, Dean Rashad is committed to fostering a vibrant intellectual community in the arts and humanities and will collaborate with faculty across the disciplines to oversee the development of an Arts & Humanities Leadership Laboratory. The laboratory will position these disciplines at Howard University to be leaders in addressing rolling social issues and advancing new possibilities for human fulfillment, as well as to prepare future alums for leadership roles in the context of an increasingly diverse America. 

When we announced the establishment of this endowed chair position in honor of distinguished Howard alumna and award-winning novelist Toni Morrison last year, we did so hoping to deepen our students’ exposure to literary and other creative arts, and to continue remembering Professor Morrison’s legacy. To that end, we sought a chair holder whose prestige and ongoing impactful scholarship would help to elevate Howard University’s scholarship and creative work across the arts and humanities. I have no doubts that Dean Rashad is the perfect choice for this position, and I look forward to her contributions as the Toni Morrison Chair. 

The Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities has been made possible in part by Ms. Mackenzie Scott’s transformative gift to the University. Ms. Scott is a former student of Professor Morrison’s and regarded Morrison as one of her most influential teachers. Funding for this endowed chair has been earmarked for this opportunity and will not adversely impact any other academic programs at Howard University. 

Please join me in congratulating Dean Rashad on another career milestone.

Excellence in Truth and Service,

Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA
Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery
President