Howard university biography

Pastor and president of Howard University

Mordecai Wyatt Johnson
Born	January 4, 1890 Paris, Tennessee
Died	September 10, 1976 Washington, D.C.
Alma mater	Morehouse College Harvard University
Employer	Howard University
Known for	First African-American president of Howard University
Awards	Spingarn Medal

Mordecai Wyatt Johnson (January 4, 1890 – September 10, 1976) was an American educator and pastor.

He served as the first African-American president of Howard University, from 1926 until 1960. Johnson has been considered one of the three leading African-American preachers of the early 20th-century, along with Vernon Johns and Howard Thurman.

Early life

Johnson was born on January 12, 1890, in Paris, Tennessee, to parents who were former slaves. His father was Reverend Wyatt J. Johnson, a preacher and mill worker. His mother, Carolyn Freeman, was a domestic worker for one of the prominent families i