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History of North Carolina Central University

It provides lists of North Carolina Central University commencement speakers, honorary degrees, Miss NCCU, Mister NCCU, and more information.

NCCU COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS YEARS 1911 - 1970

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS

Year

             Speaker

Title

1911

Hon. Wendell P. Stafford.

Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court Washington, DC

1912

Dr. Charles H. Parkhurst

Pastor, Presbyterian Church Lenox, MA

1916

Rev. Minot C. Morgan

Pastor, Central Presbyterian Church Summit, NJ

1917

Rev. Howard J. Chidley

Pastor, First Congregational Church Winchester, MA

1926

Rev. George E. Barnes

Pastor, Overbrook, Presbyterian Church

Richmond, VA

1928

Dr. Francis P. Gaines

President, Wake Forest College Wake Forest, NC

1929

Dr. Howard J. Chidley

Pastor, Central Congregational Church Brooklyn, NY

1930

Dr. S. Parks Cadman

Pastor, Central Congregational Church Brooklyn, NY

1931

Hon. W.P. Stacy

Chief Justice, North Carolina Supreme Court Raleigh, NC

1932

Dr. Ralph W. Stockman

Pastor, Madison Ave. Methodist Church New York, NY

1933

Dr. J. Stanley Durkee

Pastor, Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, NY

1934

Dr. Julian S. Miller

Editor, the Charlotte Observer Charlotte, NC

1935

Hon. Clyde R. Hoey

Attorney, Shelby, NC

1936

Hon. Ogden L. Mills

Businessman, New York, NY

1937

Dr. Stephen S. Wise

Rabbi, Free Synagogue, New York, NY

1938

Dr. Ralph W. Stockman

Pastor, Christ Church, New York, NY

1939

Dr. Louis K. Anspacher

Playwright, author, lecturer, New York, NY

1940

Hon. Clyde R. Hoey

Governor, State of North Carolina Raleigh, NC

1941

Hon. J. Melville Broughton

Governor, State of North Carolina Raleigh, NC

1942

Dr. Norman Vincent Peele

Pastor, Marble Collegiate Church New York, NY

1943

Hon. Sumner Wells

Under Secretary of State, Washington, D.C

1944

Dr. Stephen S. Wise

Rabbi, Free Synagogue, New York, NY

1945

Dr. Norman Vincent Peele

Pastor, Marble Collegiate Church New York, NY

1946

Dr. James W. Montgomery

Vice-President, Protestant Voice New York, NY

1947

Hon. Alben W. Barkley

U.S. Senator - Kentucky Washington, DC

1948

Dr. Alonzo F. Myers

Chairman, Dept. Higher Education New York University, New York, NY

1949

Mr. Jonathan Daniels

Editor, Raleigh News and Observer Raleigh, NC

1950

Dr. Martha B. Lucas

President, Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar, VA

1951

Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey

Director, Selective Service System Washington, DC

1952

Dr. David Elton Trueblood

Earlham College, Richmond, IN

1953

Dr. J. Curtis Dixon

Vice-President, Southern Education Foundation, Atlanta, GA

1954

Mr. William L. Shirer

Author and News commentator New York, NY

1955

Hon. Capus Miller Waynick

Former Ambassador to Nicaragua High Point, NC

1956

Dr. Karl Worth Bigelow

Professor of Education, Teachers College, Columbia, University, NY

1957

Dr. Howard Thurman

Dean Marsh Chapel, Boston University Boston, MA

1958

Dr. Kenneth L. Brown

Exec. Director, Danforth Foundation St. Louis, MO

1959

Hon. William H. Hastie

Judge- U.S. Court of Appeals Third Circuit Philadelphia, PA

1960

Rev. Gardner Taylor

Pastor, Concord Baptist Church Brooklyn, NY

1961

Dr. George D. Kelsey

Drew Theological Seminary, Drew University, Madison, NJ

1962

Mr. Harry Golden

Editor – Carolina Israelite, Charlotte, NC

1963

Dr. Marshall L. Shepard

Councilman at Large, Philadelphia, PA

1964

Hon. A. Leon Higginbotham

U.S. District Judge. Eastern District Philadelphia, PA

1965

Dr. John H. Johnson

President, Johnson’s Publications Chicago, IL

1966

Dr. Edward W. Brice

Assistant. to the Assistant Secretary, U.S. Dept. Health, Education and Welfare Washington, DC

1967

Dr. Watts Hill, Jr.

Chairman, N.C. Board of Higher Education Raleigh, NC

1968

Dr. Frederick D. Patterson

President, Phelps-Stokes Fund Washington, DC

1969

Mrs. Elizabeth Duncan Koontz

Director, Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC

1970

Mr. James Farmer

Asst. Secretary for Administration Dept. Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, DC

NCCU COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS YEARS 1971 - 1990

Year

         Speaker

Title

1971

Dr. Martin D. Jenkins

Director, Office of Urban Affairs American Council on Education, Washington, DC

1972

Dr. James E. Cheek

President, Howard University, Washington, DC

1973

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson

President (PUSH), People United to Save

Humanity, Chicago, IL

1974

Hon. Maynard H. Jackson

Mayor of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA

1975

Dr. Alvin F. Poussiant, M.D.

Assoc. Prof. of Psychiatry, Dean, Student Affairs, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

1976

Dr. Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.

Exec. Director, National Urban League New York, NY

1977

Mr. Howard A. Lee

Secretary, Department of Natural & Economic Resources, Raleigh, NC

1978

Ms. Ersa H. Poston

Commissioner, U.S. Civil Service Commission, Raleigh, NC

1979

Mr. Harry E. Groves

(For Rev. Jesse L. Jackson)

Dean, School of Law, NCCU Durham, NC

1980

Dr. Winfred Godwin

President, Southern Regional Education Board, Atlanta, GA

1981

Dr. William A. Clement

Chairman, Board of Trustees, NCCU Durham, NC

1982

Dr. Bernard C. Watson

President, The William Penn Foundation Philadelphia, PA

1983

Hon. Tom Bradley

Mayor, City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

1984

Dr. Helen Gray Edmonds

Distinguished Professor Emeritus North Carolina Central University Durham, NC

1985

Ms. Patricia A. Russell

President, Patricia A. Russell, Consultant

Washington, DC

1986

The Right Rev. Desmond Tutu

Archbishop-Elect of Capetown and Primate

The Church of South Africa, South Africa

1987

Hon. L. Douglas Wilder

Lieutenant Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, Richmond, VA

1988

Ms. Mary Harwood Futrell

President, National Education Association Washington, DC

1989

Dr. Tyronza R. Richmond

Chancellor, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC

1990

Hon. Daniel T. Blue, Jr.

Member, House of Representatives North Carolina General Assembly Raleigh, NC

NCCU COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS YEARS 1991 - 2018

Year

         Speaker

Title

1991

Dr. Helen G. Edmonds

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Member, Board of Trustees, North Carolina Central University Durham, NC

1992

Atty. William E. Gary

Gary, Williams, & Parnell, Fort Peacock, FL

1993

Patricia A. Russell-McCloud

President, Russell-McCloud Associates Washington, DC

1994

Atty. Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.

Senior Partner, Akin, Gump, Straus, Hauer

 5/14/94                                                & Feld, Washington, DC

1994   Dr. Mary M. Townes                 Retired Professor/Administrator   12/16/94                                              North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC

1995   Hon. Maynard H. Jackson        Chair Board Member, Jackson Securities   5/13/95                                                Atlanta, GA

1995   Dr. Eddie N. Williams              President, Joint Center for Politics and       12/16/95                                            Economic Studies, Washington, DC

1996   Mrs. Carolyn Morris                Asst. Director, Information Resources   5/11/96                                               Division, FBI, Washington, DC

1996  Hon. Joyce London Alexander Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge District of   12/18/96                                             Massachusetts, Boston, MA

1997   Atty. Thurgood Marshall, Jr.     Attorney, Washington, DC 5/10/97

1997   Mr. Earl G. Graves                   Publisher of Black Enterprise Magazine

 12/13/97                                             New York, NY

1998   Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr.        Riverside Church, New York, NC

 5/9/98

1998  Bishop Eddie L. Long               New Birth Missionary Baptist Church   12/18/98                                            Atlanta, GA

1999   Mr. Hugh B. Price                    Executive Director, National Urban League   5/8/98                                                 New York, NY

1999  Atty. Charles J. Ogletree, Jr.     Harvard Law School Jesse Climento   12/17/98                                            Professor, Cambridge, MA

2000  Atty. Bill Lann Lee                  Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights

 5/13/00                                              Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC

2000  Evangelist Shirley Caesar        Pastor, Mount Calvary Word of Faith   12/15/00                                            Church, Raleigh, NC

2001  Mr. Benjamin S. Ruffin            Chair, UNC Board of Governors   5/12/01                                               Lewisville, NC

2001  Hon. Daniel T. Blue, Jr.            North Carolina State Representative, Wake

 12/14/01                                             County, Raleigh, NC

2002  Dr. Frederick S. Humphries      President & CEO, National Association   5/11/02                                               for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, Washington, DC

2002  Dr. Tyrone R. Baines                Director of Youth Initiative Partnership, W.   12/12/02                                            K. Kellogg, Foundation, Battle Creek, MI

2003  Hon. Mattie R. Sharpless          U.S. Ambassador to Central African   5/10/03                                               Republic, Washington, DC

2003  Dr. Eugene Flood, Jr.               President & CEO, Smith Breeden Associates   12/12/03                                            Durham, NC

2004  Mr. William “Bill” McNeal       Superintendent, Wake County School   5/1/04                                                  Raleigh, NC

2004  Bishop Eddie Long                   Senior Pastor, New Birth Missionary   12/10/04                                            Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA

2005  Hon. John Edwards                  Director, Poverty Center, Work and   5/7/05                                                Opportunity, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

2005  Dr. Michael Eric Dyson            Professor of Humanities, University of   12/17/05                                            Pennsylvania, Washington, DC

2006  Dr. Dennis P. Kimbro               Author, Scholar, Atlanta, GA 5/6/06

2006  Evangelist Shirley Caesar         Pastor, Mount Calvary Word of Faith   12/16/06                                            Church, Raleigh, NC

2007  Atty. Timothy Proctor              General Counsel, Diogeo PLC London   5/5/07                                                 Norwalk, CT

2007  Dr. Julianne Malveaux             President, Bennett College for Women   12/15/07                                            Greensboro, NC

2008  Mr. Vernon Jones                     Chief Executive Officer Dekalb County   5/3/08                                                 Dekalb County, GA

2008  Ms. Patricia Russell-McCloud President, Russell-McCloud & Associates   12/13/08                                            Washington, DC

2009  Mr. Mark H. Morial                 President and Chief Executive Officer

 5/16/09                                              National Urban League, New York, NY

2009 Bishop Vashti M. McKenzie     Presiding Prelate, Thirteenth Episcopal 12/12/09                                           District, Memphis, TN

2010  Mr. Tom Joyner                       Entrepreneur, Entertainer and Philanthropist   5/18/2010                                          Dallas, TX

2010 The Hon. G.K. Butterfield        US House of Representatives   12/11/10                                            North Carolina First District, Washington, DC

2011 The Hon. John Lewis                US House of Representatives   5/13/11                                               Georgia Fifth District, Atlanta, GA

2011 Mr. John Silvanus Wilson         Executive Director, White House Initiative   12/10/11                                            on HBCU, Washington, DC

2012  Rev. William Barber                President NC State Conference of the   5/12/12                                               NAACP, Goldsboro, NC

2012  Ms. Cynthia Marshall               President, NC AT & T   12/8/12                                               Greensboro, NC

2013  Mr. Ed Gordon                         Host Nationally Syndicated Radio Program

 5/11/13                                               New York, NY

2013  Dr. Annika Barnett                   Pediatrician, Chapel Hill, NC 12/14/13

2014  Attorney Lezli Baskerville        Civil Rights Lawyer   5/10/14                                                Washington, DC

2014  Dr. Ibrahim Cisse                      Instructor, Massachusetts Institute of   12/13/14                                            Technology, Cambridge, MA

2015  Hon. Arnie Duncan                  US Secretary of Dept. of Education   5/9/15                                                 Washington, DC

2015  President Tom Ross                 UNC System Office President   12/12/15                                            Chapel Hill, NC

2016  Hon. Cory Booker                    US Senator – New Jersey

 5/14/16                                              Washington, DC

2016 Ms. Valeisha Butterfield Jones Black Community Engagement for Google   12/10/16                                           and CEO Women in Entertainment, Empowerment Network                                                                             New York, NY

2017 Mrs. Joan Higginbotham          Retired NASA Astronaut   5/13/17                                              Charlotte, NC

2017  Ms. Tisha Powell                     Anchor and Reporter – WTVD

 12/9/17                                              Durham, NC

2018  The Hon. Chaz Beasley            NC House of Representatives, District 92   5/12/18                                               Raleigh, NC

2018  The Hon. H.M. Michaux, Jr.     NC House of Representatives, District 31   12/8/18                                               Raleigh, NC

NCCU COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS YEARS 2019 - PRESENT

Year

         Speaker

Title

2019 Dr. William J. Barber               Civil Rights Activist 5/11/19                                              Goldsboro, NC

2019  Mrs. Ruth E. Carter                 Academy Award Winning Costume 12/14/19                                            Designer, Los Angeles, CA

2020 COMMENCEMENT VIRTUAL BECAUSE OF COVID 19

2021 Ms. Jasmine Crowe                  Award Winning Social Entrepreneur and 5/8/21                                                Businesswoman, Atlanta, GA

2021 Dr. Naima A. Stennett              Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician 12/11/21                                            Chapel Hill, NC

2022 Ms. Agnes Moss                      Leader, National Black Movie Assoc. 5/6/22                                                Washington, NC