Ten members of the First Congregational Society of Washington, D.C. gathered for a missionary meeting and resolved to establish a seminary to train African American preachers. By early 1867, their vision expanded to include a liberal arts college and university. The institution was named Howard University in honor of Major General Oliver O. Howard, a Civil War hero and Commissioner of the Freedmen’s Bureau, which was created to assist newly freed African Americans after the Civil War. Today, Howard University stands as one of the most prestigious historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States.
© 2025 KnowThyHistory.com. Know Thy History
