Header photo: Howard alumni include trailblazers who have achieved historic firsts, including (l. to r.) Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Grammy Award-Winner Roberta Flack, Box Office Champion Chadwick A. Boseman, Major General Frederic Davison, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

As we celebrate the 101st anniversary of Howard’s Homecoming, we also celebrate the numerous ways Howard is “one of one,” which means that the university is in a class by itself — as the only, the first, or at the top as #1.  It is more than just a rhetorical flourish. In honor of the occasion, we looked at the multitude of ways Howard University and the Howard family are literally, provably, and demonstrably unique among institutions of higher education. Although we could have listed more, these 101 reasons Howard is ‘One of One’ demonstrate the institution’s historic legacy, trailblazing lineage, and ongoing singularity in impact, excellence, truth and service. 

1. Howard University established the first medical school at an HBCU in 1868. Read more.

2. Howard established the first law school at an HBCU in 1869. Read more.

3. Howard established the first dental school at an HBCU in 1881. It is the fifth oldest dental school in the country and the only dental school in the District of Columbia Read more. 

4. Howard faculty member and United Nations Undersecretary-General Ralph Bunche was the first Black American to win a Nobel prize.

5. Howard alumna Toni Morrison (B.A.’53, H ’95) was the first and only Black American to win a Nobel Prize for literature. Read more and more.

6. Howard alumna Roberta Flack (BME ’58, D.Mus. ’75) was the first artist to win back-to-back Grammy Awards for Record of the Year. Learn more.

7. Howard University alumna Kamala Harris (B.A. ’86, LLD ’12, DHL ’17) was the first Black person to become U.S. Senator from California and then the first woman, Black person, or person of Asian descent to be vice president of the United States. She was also the first woman of color to be a major party nominee for president of the United States in American history. Read more.

8. Howard University alumnus Thurgood Marshall (J.D. ’33) was the first Black person to become U.S. solicitor general and then the first Black person to become a U.S. Supreme Court justice. Read more.

9. Former Howard University Mathematics Department Chair Elbert Cox, Ph.D., was the first Black person in the world to obtain a Ph.D. in mathematics. Read more.

10. Howard University alumnus and former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Edward Brooke (B.A. ’41) was the first Black person to be popularly elected as a U.S. Senator outside of Reconstruction. Read more.

11. Howard University alumnus and former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder (J.D. ’59) was the first Black person to be elected governor outside of Reconstruction. Read more.

12. Founded at Howard in 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha was the first national sorority for Black women. In total, five of the “Divine Nine” fraternities and sororities were founded by Howard students, including Omega Psi Phi (1911), Delta Sigma Theta (1913), Phi Beta Sigma (1914), and Zeta Phi Beta (1920).

13. Dr. Renee Rosalind Jenkins, former chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Howard, was the first Black president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Learn more.

14. Howard University alumnus David Dinkins (B.A. ’50, LLD ’92) was the first Black person to be elected mayor of New York City, America’s most populous city. Read more.

15. The only PBS channel operated by an HBCU is Howard’s WHUT.

16. Howard is the first and only HBCU to ever achieve the "Research One" designation for the highest level of research. Read more.

17. Alumnus and actor Chadwick Boseman (B.F.A. ‘00) starred in "Black Panther," which spent weeks as box office #1, was the first superhero movie to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, and is one of the top 20 highest grossing films of all time.

18. Current Howard University College of Medicine Dean Andrea Hayes Dixon was the first Black woman to become a pediatric surgeon. In addition, she was the first surgeon in the world to perform a high-risk, life-saving procedure in teens with rare forms of abdominal cancer. 

19. Alumnus Andrew Young is the only American to be a congressman, mayor, and Ambassador to the United Nations

20. Founders Library was the most expensive library on any college campus in America when initially completed.

21. As part of its "Most Searched" research, Google named Howard's Homecoming as the “Most Searched Homecoming” in the United States. Read more.

22. Forbes Magazine has ranked Howard as the #1 HBCU for two years in a row.

23. LinkedIn’s 2025 college rankings listed Howard as the #1 HBCU in the nation.

24. U.S. News and World Report ranked Howard as the #1 school in the Washington, DC metropolitan area for social mobility in 2025. Read more.

25. U.S. News ranked Howard’s undergraduate programs #1 among HBCUs in business, (26.) computer science, (27.) economics, and (28.) psychology in 2025. Read more.

29. Howard was the only HBCU named among U.S. News and World Report’s 2025-26 “Best Global Universities.” Read more.

30. In 2025, U.S. News and World Report ranked Howard University graduate programs as #1 among HBCUs in criminal law, (31.) constitutional law, (32.) dispute resolution, (33.) intellectual property law, (34.) healthcare law, (35.) trial advocacy law, (36.) economics, (37.) English, (38.) fine arts, (39.) history, (40.) political science, and (41.) speech pathology. Read more.

42. U.S. News ranked Howard as the #1 college or university in the Washington, DC metropolitan area for “Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care” in 2025.  Read more.

43. U.S. News ranked Howard University School of Law as the top HBCU law school on the Best Law Schools listing in 2025. Read more.

44. Howard University School of Law placed #1 among HBCUs and #13 in the nation in the Law Schools with the Most Graduates at Big Law Firms category of U.S. News rankings in 2025.

45. U.S. News ranked Howard’s School of Education #1 among HBCU graduate education programs in 2025.

46. Former Howard University Chair of the Department of Surgery LaSalle Leffall Jr., M.D., was the first African American to serve as national president of the American Cancer Society, the Society of Surgical Oncology, the Society of Surgical Chairmen, and the American College of Surgeons.

47. Howard alumnus Walter Washington (LLB, ’48, LLD ’74) became the first Black mayor of any major U.S. city when he became mayor of Washington, D.C. after the enactment of home rule legislation. Read more.

48. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education, Howard is the nation’s #1 producer of Blacks with undergraduate degrees in Communications, Journalism, and Related Programs. Learn more.

49. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education, Howard is the nation’s #1 producer of Native Americans with undergraduate degrees in Communications, Journalism, and Related Programs. Learn more.

50. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education, Howard is the #1 HBCU producer of Blacks with undergraduate degrees in business management, marketing, and related support services, (51.) social sciences, and (52.) finance and financial management services, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education. 

53. Howard is the #1 HBCU producer of Blacks with master’s degrees in rehabilitation and therapeutic professions, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education. Learn more.

54. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education, Howard is the nation’s #1 producer of Blacks with doctorates in communications, journalism, and related programs and (55.) history. Learn more.

56. Major General Frederic Davison (’38, ’40) was the first Black person to command white soldiers in combat and the first Black person to achieve the major general rank, which is the highest peacetime permanent rank in the U.S. Army. Learn more.

57. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education, Howard is the nation’s #1 HBCU producer of Blacks with doctorates, including both professional and research doctorates.

58. According to recent data compiled by Lawyers of Color, Howard Law School is the #1 producer of Blacks with juris doctorates.

59. Howard students Janeen Louis, Soluchi Fidel-Ibeabuchi, Fatumata Dia, Sydney Helstone, and Kyla Hockett took first place at the inaugural Microsoft AI Policython in 2025, solving real-world issues revolving around artificial intelligence policies. Read more.

60. Backed by Howard University’s Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership, students Brooklynn Tucker and Kayden Edwards won the $50,000 first prize in the 2025 She Has a Deal pitch competition. The students plan to develop a hotel project they identified in New Orleans. Learn more.

61. Howard’s women’s track and field team was #1 in the MEAC in 2025, winning their fourth consecutive championship and David Oliver (BBA ’04), head coach of Howard’s track and field team earned earning Outstanding Coach of the Year honors for the fourth consecutive year in 2025. Read more.

62. The patented technique for preserving blood plasma developed by Howard University Department of Surgery head Dr. Charles Drew led to his creation of the first mobile blood banking system in the country, responsible for saving countless lives since 1941. Read more.

63. Howard’s men’s golf team is #1 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) after winning its second championship in 2025. Learn more.

64. Howard’s men’s swim team was #1 in the Northeast Conference for the 2024-2025 season, winning the swimming and diving championships. Standout #1 performances were given by gold medalists including (65.) Tristan Stevens in the 200-meter backstroke and (66.) the Bison relay team of Tristan Stevens, Tai Afrik, Taj Benton, and Mason Green in the 400-meter relay. Other #1s include (67.) Zay Swilley, named the NEC Most Outstanding Diver, and (68.) coaches Nicholas Askew, Salim King, Miriam Lynch, Ph.D., Courtenay Miller, and Jasmine Payne, who were named NEC Coaching Staff of the Year. Learn more.

69. Immediate past editor of The Hilltop, Jacky "JD" Jean-Jacques, was the National Association of Black Journalist’s #1 student journalist in 2025, receiving its Student Journalist of the Year Award. The Hilltop is the oldest continuously-running student newspaper at an HBCU. Read more.

70. The Howard Team won the Goldman Sachs Fifth Annual Market Madness Competition and $1 million for Howard University in 2025. Keyla Arrechea, Jordan Atkins, Aaron Harrison, Kadijah Mansaray, and Jada Rabun became the #1 team by proposing and defending a business solution to grow revenue for a global company based on a merger, acquisition, or product launch. It was Howard’s second win in the competition. Read more.

71. Howard’s women’s softball team was #1 in the MEAC in 2025, winning the conference title. Other #1 honors went to (72.) Most Outstanding Coach Tori Tyson, (73.) Rookie of the Year Lauryn Jones, and (74.) Outstanding Player of the Year Ameenah Ballenger. Learn more.  

75. Howard faculty member Ruth Moore (1903-1994) was an American bacteriologist and microbiologist, who in 1933 became the first African American woman to be awarded a doctorate in a natural science (bacteriology). Read more.

76. Howard faculty member Alain Locke, Ph.D., credited with sparking the Harlem Renaissance, was the first African American to be selected as a Rhodes Scholar in 1907. Read more.

77. Two-time Tony Award-winning Howard alumna Phylicia Rashad (BFA ’70) was the lead actress in the #1 television series in America for five consecutive seasons. She also directed "Dangerous Acts: Howard University," which won a New York Emmy Award in the Arts/Entertainment – Long-Form Content category and "Purpose" on Broadway, which won the Tony Award for “Outstanding Broadway Play,” at the 78th Tony Awards.

78. The first national organization for Black pharmacists, the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA), was founded at Howard in 1974. Then dean of Howard’s College of Pharmacy, Dr. Chauncey Ira Cooper, served as the first president. Read more.

79. The #1 music radio station in Washington, D.C is Howard’s WHUR, according to Nielsen ratings. Learn more.

80. Howard University alumna Sharon Pratt (B.A. ’65, J.D. ’68) was the first woman to be elected mayor of Washington, DC, serving from 1991 to 1995. Read more.

81. Howard alumna Shirley Franklin (B.A. ’68) was the first woman to be elected mayor of Atlanta and the first Black woman to lead a major Southern city. Read more. 

82. Before Howard alumnus Mike Espy (B.A. ’75) served as 25th secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture during the administration of U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton, he served as a member of Congress from Mississippi, the first Black person to do so outside of the Reconstruction era.

83. Widely known for being the first Black woman to serve on a presidential cabinet, Howard alumna Patricia Roberts Harris (B.A. ’45) was President Jimmy Carter’s U.S. Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the 1970s and later Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Read more.

84. The first significant study related to sickle cell treatment after birth was conducted by alumnus and former Pediatrics Department Chair Roland Scott (M.D. ’34), Melvin Jenkins, M.D., and Robert Crawford, M.D., all doctors at Freedman’s Hospital. The study led to federal funding for research and treatment and the establishment of the Center for Sickle Cell Disease at Howard, the first center in the nation solely devoted to addressing the disease. Read more.

85. #1 Teacher: Howard alumnus Christopher O. J. Alberts won recognition as Washington, D.C.’s Teacher of the Year in October 2025. Alberts is director of performing arts and a music teacher at D.C.’s School Without Walls. Learn more.

86. Howard ‘s traditional MBA program is the only HBCU ranked among Fortune’s 2025 Best MBA Programs. Read more. 

87. Howard University’s men’s soccer team became the first and only HBCU to win a national NCAA title, in 1971. The team won another national title in 1974. Read more.

88. Howard University’s women’s soccer team are the reining NEC champs, having placed first in the conference during the 2024 season. Read more. 

89. Howard University hosts the first U.S. Department of Defense University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC) at an historically Black college or university (HBCU) and the first in the nation’s history to be funded by the United States Air Force. The focus of the UARC is on tactical autonomy, human-machine teaming, and artificial intelligence. Read more.

90. The Howard University Center for African Studies is the only comprehensive National Resource Center (NRC) at an HBCU, as designated by the U.S. Department of Education. NRC’s lead research opportunities in international studies, languages, and international affairs.

91. The Howard University Cancer Center is the only cancer center at an HBCU that provides a full range of cancer treatment services and trains the next generation of oncology professionals and cancer researchers.

92. Howard is the only HBCU and one of only six institutions worldwide selected as academic partners of the Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems, conducting groundbreaking research in power density to make electric mobility more practical and efficient. Learn more.

93. Howard’s Moorland-Spingarn Research Center (MSRC) is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive repository of books, documents, and ephemera on the global Black experience. Learn more.

94. #1 in Texas: Howard University alum Taylor Davis (B.A. ’22) donned the first-place crown with her win as Miss Texas USA in May. She also became Miss Howard in 2020.  Read more.

95. LaNiece Tyree, MPA, CASP, Howard's assistant vice president for auxiliary enterprises, was elected president of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS) in 2024, making her both the first woman of color and the first HBCU leader in the role. Read more.

96. Howard University’s College of Dentistry established the first school of dental hygiene openly available to African Americans in the United States. Read more.

97. Former Dean of Howard University College of Dentistry, Dr. Jeanne Sinkford, was the first woman dean of a U.S. dental school. Read more.

98. Howard University was the first HBCU to have an accredited architecture program. Read more.

99. In 1872, the law school graduated the first black woman lawyer in the United States, Charlotte E. Ray. Read more.

100. Among the many Howard mantras is, “we never lose a party.” The Niche publication validated that assertion in 2025, naming Howard the #1 HBCU on its annual list of top party schools and #9 in the nation overall. Howard is the only HBCU to make the rankings list. Learn more.

101. Howard is the only HBCU to be chartered by the United States Congress.

At Reason 101, we barely scratched the surface. From theatre to science, from research to divinity, from law to medicine, and from truth to service, Howard continues to make distinctive and inimitable contributions to the world. For all these reasons and many more, we celebrate Howard and its “one-of-one” impact on global history.