WASHINGTON, DC –  Howard University  will convene its 158th Opening Convocation on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 11 a.m. in Cramton Auditorium. The annual event marks the official start of the academic year and welcomes new students to the University.  

Sherrilyn Ifill,  Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Esq. Endowed Chair in Civil Rights at Howard University and founder/director of the 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy, will be this year’s convocation speaker. Ifill has served as a professor of law at Howard University since 2023. Before joining the University, she was the president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Wayne A. I. Frederick (B.S. '92, M.D. "94, MBA "11), FACS, Howard University interim president, president emeritus, and the Charles Drew Professor of Surgery will preside over the program. Board of Trustees Chair Leslie D. Hale (BBA ’94) will also deliver remarks.  Classes will be suspended between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., to allow students, faculty, and staff to attend the convocation.   

WHAT

Howard University’s 158th Opening Convocation

WHO

• Sherrilyn Ifill, Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Esq. Endowed Chair in Civil Rights
• Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, interim president, president emeritus, and Charles Drew Professor of Surgery
• Leslie D. Hale, chair of the Board of Trustees
• faculty, staff, and students 

WHEN

Friday, September 19, 11 a.m. 

WHERE

Cramton Auditorium, 2455 6th St NW, Washington, DC 20059  

MEDIA ATTENDANCE: Advance RSVP to Carol Wilkerson (carol.wilkerson@howard.edu) is required. Access to cover the event is not guaranteed without prior written approval from the Office of University Communications. B-roll available upon request.

As a reminder, please adhere to the University's bag policy to ensure the safety of all attendees.  

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