Robert F. Smith and Angela Bassett will receive honorary degrees from Morehouse College this May at the school’s 135th commencement ceremony.
What We Know:
- Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, Smith will be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Academy Award-nominated actress Angela Bassett will receive an Honorary Doctor of Arts degree.
- Smith is being recognized for his financial contributions to the school and National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C., and his philanthropic efforts in his work as an African American business leader. Smith will also deliver the keynote commencement address.
- Smith donated a little over $1.5 million to Morehouse College earlier this year, $1 million to create a new scholars program, $560k for a new park located on Morehouse’s campus.
- Morehouse is recognizing Bassett for her powerful work in “Black Panther,” “Boyz ‘N the Hood” and other successful films representing strong Black women in film and television.
- 300 other scholars will receive honorary degrees from Morehouse College this year. Psychologist and Professor Edmund W. Gordon will also receive an Honorary Doctor of Human Letters degrees for his work in education access for minority and disadvantaged students.
President of Morehouse College David A. Thomas said these honorary degree recipients and the keynote address will help students, “take the lessons that they learned as Men of Morehouse and become game-changers in their future endeavors.”
