Mbye Cham, Faculty
D: AUGUST 29, 2025, USA
Professor Mbye Cham, Ph.D., joined Howard in 1980 and would go on to dedicate his 40-year scholarly and teaching career to the institution. As the founding director of the Center for African Studies , Dr. Cham was instrumental in shaping the academic landscape of African studies at Howard. Described as a pioneer filmmaker and professor of African Literature and Film, Dr. Cham was also a renowned author and editor, not to mention a mentor and friend to many. Originally from The Gambia, he earned degrees from Temple University (B.A., French), State University of New York at Buffalo (M.A., French), and the University of Wisconsin (Ph.D.).
Rev. Dr. Larry D. Coleman (B.A. ’73, J.D. ’76)
D: MAY 9, 2025, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
While earning both his undergraduate and law degrees from Howard University, Dr. Coleman served as editor-in-chief of the student-led newspaper, “The Hilltop.” He discovered his passion for writing, justice, and service during this time, and often said Howard gave him not just a degree, but also an identity. He’d go on to begin his legal career clerking for civil rights leader Benjamin L. Hooks before becoming the first Black assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri. He later founded Larry Coleman Law Office, where he embraced the role of a “comprehensive attorney,” pursuing justice across civil rights, criminal defense, and family law for over 30 years.
Janaya Hampton (B.A. ’17)
D: JUNE 21, 2025, NEW ORLEANS, LA
Born November 30, 1994, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Hampton graduated from St. Mary’s Dominican High School, summa cum laude, where she’d been a member of the Varsity Volleyball Team, National Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta. Upon graduation, she was awarded academic and athletic scholarships to attend Howard University, where she continued to excel in volleyball as a member of the HU volleyball team, which won back-to-back Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority Inc., she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in media, journalism and film communication with a minor in graphic design in 2017, before embarking on her dreams to be a fashion designer in Los Angeles.
Opal Marie Brown Hyde (FH DIP N ’52)
D: APRIL 3, 2025, SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND
An advocate for civil rights and women’s leadership, Opal Marie Brown co-founded the D.C. chapter of The Links Inc., and worked to integrate national golf clubs. She attended Howard University’s Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing, becoming a registered nurse.
Ananda Lewis (B.A. ’95)
D: JUNE 11, 2025, LOS ANGELES, CA
Often referred to as the “voice of a generation,” Lewis died following a valiant battle with breast cancer this past summer. The popular television host landed her role as host of BET’s “Teen Summit” just two years after she graduated from Howard and would go on to host MTV’s “Total Request Live” and “Hot Zone” and eventually helm her own nationally syndicated show, “The Ananda Lewis Show.” Howard remembers the trailblazing journalist in a recent article celebrating her legacy.
George K. Littleton, Faculty
D: MAY 26, 2025, SILVER SPRING, MD
Emeritus associate professor of physiology and biophysics in the College of Medicine, Dr. Littleton earned his Bachelor of Science and doctoral degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He began his tenure at Howard University in 1975. In addition to his work in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, he’d go on to serve as associate dean for research in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as well as on various committees dedicated to research and other endeavors. Most notably, he served as a member of the Howard University Board of Trustees (2011-2014; 2015-2017) and secured over $38 million in institutional research funds — a leader in obtaining external research funding at the university.
During his 47-year career with Howard, Dr. Littleton taught and mentored hundreds of medical students, all while focusing his own research on prostate metabolism and continuing to support the financial growth and health of the university.
Marcia Ward Neal (FH DIP N, ’61)
D: APRIL 28, 2025, CANTON, GA
A graduate of Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing at Howard University, Marcia Ward Neal began her nursing career in the neonatal unit of Waterbury Hospital. As a registered nurse, she was also employed at The Waterbury Convalescent Home, Abbott Terrace Health Center, and concluded her career with Southbury Training School in Connecticut.
James Weldon Norris, D. Mus. (B.Mus. ’59, M. Mus. ’60)
D: JULY 1, 2025, UPPER MARLBORO, MD
A composer, historian, and instructor, Dr. Norris took his final bow on the first of July. The legendary musician and former director of university choirs and bands was also professor emeritus of music history in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. Over his decades-long career, Dr. Norris combined his love of music with his passion for teaching. In 1973, he returned to his alma mater, Howard University, after serving as chair of the humanities department at Morris College. Under his leadership, the music program and department (which he served for more than five decades) reached new heights, with the Howard University Choir becoming critically acclaimed and being featured around the world. In a letter to the Howard community from Provost Anthony Wutoh, Music Department Chair Carroll Dashiell Jr. was quoted saying that Dr. Norris’ legacy “will live forever through Howard University.”
Charles B. Rangel (LL.D. ’88)
D: MAY 28, 2025, NEW YORK, NY
A U.S. Representative for New York’s 13th Congressional district from 1971 to 2017 and a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Charlie Rangel was a renowned political strategist, legislator, veteran of the Army, and champion of equity. Rangel made history as the first African American member of Congress to lead the Ways and Means Committee. Rangel was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1988, and more than 600 students and professionals have participated in the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship program — a U.S. State Department program collaboratively administered by the Bureau of Global Talent Management and Howard University’s Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center.
Chairman Emeritus Frank Savage (B.A. ’62. D.H. ’05)
D: JULY 16, 2025, NEWPORT, RI
Chairman emeritus of the Howard University Board of Trustees, Frank Savage was described by many as “a visionary global financier” and a staunch advocate for his alma mater, Howard University. He graduated from the university with a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics in 1961. He’d go on to become the first Black professional in Citibank’s international division and hold various high-profile leadership roles with Equitable Life, Equitable Capital Management, and Alliance Capital. He founded the financial services company Savage Holdings LLC and sat on the boards of Bloomberg LP, Lockheed Martin, New York Philharmonic, and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Chairman Savage joined the Howard University Board of Trustees in 1994 and served as chairman from 1997 to 2004. Under his stewardship, Howard launched the “Campaign for Howard,” which solidified student scholarships and supported faculty development and capital projects that continue to impact the current student experience. In 1999, he established the Frank Savage Endowed Scholars Program within the School of Business.
James E. Silcott (B.Arch. ’57)
D: JULY 17, 2025, WASHINGTON, DC
James E. Silcott, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA), and a distinguished alumnus of the architecture program, was also an esteemed member of the Howard University Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2009. He enrolled in the university in 1949, before leaving to serve in the U.S. Army. Upon his return, Silcott completed his degree in architecture and went on to become one of the first Black architects hired by the Los Angeles County Department of Architecture and Construction, as well as UCLA. His support of Howard University students is legendary, with more than 500 students directly benefiting from his support of the architecture program, to which he contributed more than $3 million. In 2020, he was elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects, a distinction only earned by 3% of its members. In 2002, Silcott received the Howard Alumni Achievement Award Architecture and Public Service.
Article ID: 2336