Wayne A.I. Frederick to Step Down as President of Howard University by June 2024

Wayne A. I. Frederick recently informed the board of trustees of Howard University that he plan to retire from the presidency by June 2024. He has committed to remain in place to ensure a smooth transition of leadership. Dr. Frederick, who had been serving as provost, was named interim president in 2013 and assumed the permanent position in 2014. He has spent 34 years at Howard as a student, faculty member, administrator, and president.

Laurence C. Morse, chair of the university’s board of trustees, stated that “the next president of Howard will follow Dr. Frederick’s lead in exemplifying our motto of truth and service by strengthening our legacy, embracing and expanding our community, and building on our strategic plan to prioritize the success of our students, faculty and staff. As we develop and finalize the selection process for our next University president, we will be sure to share more details with all members of our University community as they become available. In the meantime, I invite you to join me and my fellow trustees in celebrating Dr. Frederick for his extraordinary work and thanking him for his longstanding and continued dedication and service to Howard University.”

A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Frederick enrolled at Howard University when he was 16 years old. In six years, he earned his bachelor’s and medical degrees. He completed his surgical residency at Howard and then was a surgical oncology fellow at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Frederick also holds an MBA from the School of Business at Howard University.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. This have occurred years ago. Wayne Fredericks has conducted himself in the capacity of an direct internal threat to Howard University from his time as the HUH chief administrator and now as president. What I do find very suspect is Wayne’s stepping down right after his propagandistic recent $750 million infrastructure project. Too bad Wayne couldn’t resign IMMEDIATELY. In close, the Howard University president should be a native born Black American and Not an “African/Caribbean Immigrant”.

    • No college president is perfect. I am sure that Dr. Frederick would acknowledge that. To use his ethnicity as a basis for criticism is ahistorical and reactionary. It not only insults the memory and work or WEB DuBois and Henry Sylvester Williams (Trinidadian) – founders of the Pan Africanist Congress, and that of Malcom X, Kwame Nkrumah and countless others who have struggled and worked to promote Pan African freedom and unity; it provides fuel and ammunition to those who benefit when we fight each other.

      Criticize and evaluate Dr. Frederick for his work. Hold him to very high standards, but please do not insult us by attacking his nationality.

      In Unity
      Atiba

      • Spare me with the emotive rant “Atiba”. It’s quite apparent that you’re not a “native born Black American” especially with that name. By the way, what Third World country do you and family come from? As such, you’re not intellectually qualified to tell HBCU Watch the parameters of our critique of failed Howard University president Wayne Frederick (in our view of course).

        Regarding your claims that we were “attacking his ethnicity” is baseless because there’s a direct correlation between his administrative malfeasance and his origins. In other words, Wayne still harbors the neocolonial mentality along with making decisions akin to a White colonial administrator.

        Finally, don’t bore me with this “In Unity” catchphrase because it’s not used or practiced on the continent of Africa (which still operates as if it were the early 19th century) or the neocolonial Caribbean. For those who dissent, I challenge you to show me where YOU find this “In Unity” is thriving on the continent of Africa, the UK, or the Caribbean. For example, in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, etc. the PRC has literally taken over these countries even though the leaders look like YOU Atiba. In other words, don’t come to the USA even remotely trying to tell native born Black Americans what to say in any capacity. Comprende!

      • Hey Atiba,

        Please spare us with the emotive rant. You fail to acknowledge the glaring examples we provided about the blundering Wayne Frederick’s. Your dimwitted support of Wayne clearly show that YOU’RE NOT a native born Black American. You should be duly embarrassed for even trying to associate DuBois, and Malcolm X (by way, “Malcolm” is spelled with two “l’s and not one “l”). Regarding Henry S. Williams, this guy was a British national which mean that he’s was not qualified to address critically the ongoing war native born Black Americans have been engaged in since being brought to thee shores now called “America”.

        Finally, if you actually applied your own metrics of analysis for Wayne’s decision making your comment would have been vastly different. By the way, what Third World country do you come from?

    • Hey Gordon,

      Your emotive comments gives the impression that you’re not a “native born Black American” or totally clueless what that encompasses. If so, that’s a new assignment for you. If HBCU presidents are “poor financial stewards” do you think it’s primarily due to misguided decision making, the lack of understanding of budgeting, investment strategies, or not having properly trained personnel in handling large budgets? By the way, what country did you come from?

  2. For many native born Black Americans affiliated with HBCUs have long said that HBCUs have morphed into “employment sanctuaries” for African and Caribbean immigrants. All the while is comes at the expense for those who these institutions were created specifically for, native born Black Americans. For those who dissent, I would highly suggest they critically examine the true history of HBCUs in order to understand my point.

  3. Somebody need to explain why is the Majority of Howard University General Counsel are African or Caribbean Immigrants? Something is inherently wrong with this picture on numerous levels. Truth be told. The “native born Black American” students (undergraduate, graduate or professional) are treated like they’re the “foreigners at Howard University. For those who dissent, I challenge you to ask any native born Black American student, faculty, or staff at Howard.

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