Howard University announced Wednesday that it’s renaming its college of fine arts after one of its most iconic alumni, Chadwick Boseman.
The Washington Post and Variety were the first the report on the name change that honors the late actor known for playing the superhero Black Panther. The university confirmed the news on Twitter by tweeting out stories from those outlets.
Thank you, @washingtonpost, for this feature on our exciting news! Howard University is pleased to name the College of Fine Arts after our iconic alumnus @chadwickboseman ! Read more here: https://t.co/pPuARPe5ub #HowardForward
— Howard University (@HowardU) May 26, 2021
Boseman died at the age of 43 last August after battling colon cancer. He graduated from the university in 2000 with a bachelor of arts degree in directing.
Along with his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Boseman was also known for his portrayal of baseball player Jackie Robinson in the film “42” and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall.” Most recently, his work in “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom” earned him a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
The executive chairman of The Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger, will lead fundraising efforts for an endowment named after Boseman and help raise money for the construction of a new building that will house the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, The Post and Variety report.
The renaming announcement comes weeks after the university announced that “The Cosby Show” star Phylicia Rashad would serve as dean of the college. The actress was reportedly a friend and mentor of Boseman.
The president of the university, Wayne A. I Frederick, told The Post that the new building will be constructed where a parking lot now exists behind the current college. He added that the school has not identified a date to break ground, but they’re moving as quickly as possible.
Congratulations to all the future students of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts!
Special thanks to @howardu @huprez17 @phyliciarashad and @RobertIger @disney for leading fundraising efforts. pic.twitter.com/dmyJOlySPd
— Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) May 26, 2021
