Howard University to Honor Bob Iger at 2026 Commencement

Howard University placed Bob Iger among its most select honorees at the 158th Commencement Convocation, a choice that elevated one of the country’s most visible media executives as the school sent a message about who shapes public life now. The university said the honorary Doctor of Laws degree is its highest honor and is reserved for distinguished people whose achievements and service align with Howard’s mission.

Iger, the immediate past chief executive of The Walt Disney Company, received the honor at the May 9 ceremony on The Yard in Washington, D.C. Howard said he spent two decades in senior leadership at Disney, serving as CEO, chairman of the board, executive chairman, president and chief operating officer, and chairman of the ABC Group. The selection put him alongside figures whose influence runs through government, higher education and faith, underscoring Howard’s preference for leaders whose reach extends beyond one industry.

Howard said Iger has urged graduates to stay curious, stay adaptable and remain students as technology and workplace culture keep changing. That message fit a commencement that arrived at a moment when higher education faces pressure over access, cost and public confidence, while major entertainment companies continue to navigate scrutiny over culture, labor and the power they wield in American life.

Howard conferred honorary degrees on five people in all: Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, Spelman College interim president Rosalind G. Brewer, University of Detroit Mercy president emeritus Antoine Garibaldi, the late gospel music icon Rev. Richard L. Smallwood, and Iger. Bowser also delivered the keynote address. Howard described her as the seventh elected mayor of Washington and the first African American woman elected to three four-year terms as mayor of a major American city.

The ceremony marked more than an awards list. Howard said about 3,000 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees were expected to be conferred on the Class of 2026, drawn from all 14 of the university’s schools and colleges. The university also said about 47% of the undergraduate class were Pell Grant recipients, a reminder that the celebration was tied to access as much as prestige.

By placing Iger on the stage at The Yard, Howard linked media influence, business leadership and educational mobility in one message. The university made clear that, in its view, power is worth honoring only when it is paired with service, adaptability and public consequence.