On May 1, 1867, Howard University officially opened its doors in Washington, D.C. Named after Union General Oliver O. Howard, a key figure in the Freedmen’s Bureau, the university was established to provide educational opportunities to newly emancipated African Americans in the aftermath of the Civil War. From its beginnings as a theological seminary, Howard quickly grew into a major institution of higher learning—offering liberal arts, law, medicine, and more. Today, Howard remains one of the most prestigious historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States, producing generations of Black leaders, scholars, and changemakers.
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