WASHINGTON – Entrepreneur, philanthropist and entertainment mogul Sean Combs will deliver the 146th Commencement address at Howard University on Saturday, May 10, 2014, Interim President Wayne A.I. Frederick announced today.
The University will award degrees to more than 1800 students. Combs was a student at Howard University in the late 1980s. He will receive an honorary doctorate in humanities at the convocation.
“In selecting the individuals who will be awarded honorary degrees, Howard University continues the tradition of identifying leaders whose work has clearly contributed to the advancement of their fields and the world,” Frederick said. “We are honored to have Mr. Combs serve as our speaker. He sat in classrooms where our students sit, walked ‘The Yard,’ and like many students, his entrepreneurial spirit was sparked at Howard. We know he will inspire our class to work hard and to always strive for excellence.”
Five individuals will receive honorary degrees during the ceremony. They represent an exemplary group of pioneers and trailblazers in the fields of journalism, the arts, business and medicine. This year’s honorees include
- CNN’s Wolf Blitzer;
- Clive Callender, M.D., is the LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., Professor of Surgery at the Howard University College of Medicine and the first physician to perform a transplant at Howard University Hospital
- Benny Golson is the multitalented and internationally renowned jazz legend.
- Indra K. Nooyi is chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo.
But the speaker of the hour is Mr. Sean Combs, the chairman, chief executive officer and founder of Combs Enterprises. Recently declared “One of the Most Influential Businessmen in the World” by Time Magazine and CNN, Combs has built a reputation as a master brand builder, pop culture icon and champion of youth education and entrepreneurship.
Under the Combs Enterprises umbrella, he oversees a broad range of businesses including REVOLT, the new music-oriented platform for television, web and mobile; Bad Boy Entertainment; Sean John; Combs Wines and Spirits – Ciroc Vodka and DeLeon Tequila; and the Blue Flame Agency.
At the end of the day, he has built an empire and that is not to be sneezed at.
