It’s a new era of excellence!
Howard University just received another major boost toward its future, an $80 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, marking one of the largest donations in the school’s history. This latest contribution brings Scott’s total giving to the university to an incredible $132 million since 2020, solidifying her as one of the most transformative supporters in Howard’s 157-year history.
The unrestricted gift, shared between Howard University and the Howard University College of Medicine, is poised to accelerate the school’s already powerful momentum as one of the nation’s top research and innovation hubs. In 2025, the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education officially designated Howard as an R1 institution, a status reserved for universities with the highest levels of research activity in the nation. Adding to the achievement, LinkedIn and Forbes named Howard the top HBCU in America, while U.S. News & World Report ranked its business, computer science, economics, psychology, and law programs among the best of any HBCU.
Scott’s history of giving has reshaped the landscape of higher education. Since 2019, she has donated more than half a billion dollars to historically Black colleges and universities. A Rutgers University study found that her funding has strengthened student retention, faculty recruitment, and campus development at institutions nationwide.
Of the $80 million, $17 million will be allocated directly to Howard’s College of Medicine to support a new Academic Medical Center, an expansion of the innovation hub that Scott helped fund in 2023. That facility brings together the College of Medicine and the College of Engineering and Architecture to explore technologies that push the limits of patient care and medical science.
Founded in 1868, the Howard University College of Medicine holds a historic role in American medical education. For decades, Howard and Meharry Medical College trained most of the nation’s Black doctors. The College’s legacy includes legendary figures such as Dr. Charles Drew, who created the first mobile blood banks; Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall Jr., the first Black president of both the American Cancer Society and the American College of Surgeons; and Dr. Clive Callender, founder of the National Minority Organ Transplant Education Program. Current Dean Dr. Andrea Hayes Dixon, the first Black female pediatric surgeon in the U.S. and now president of the American Pediatric Surgical Association, continues that legacy of trailblazing leadership.
The impact of the College of Medicine is measurable and ongoing. According to U.S. News, it has produced more primary care physicians practicing in the Washington, D.C. region than any other university. The new funding will further empower Howard to continue training top medical professionals and expanding access to health innovation.
Beyond the medical school, the gift will also help sustain the academic progress of Howard’s world-class student body. Nearly 70% of students face significant financial need, more than 40% are Pell Grant eligible, and a third are first-generation college students. With federal funding caps tightening, Scott’s contribution ensures that the next generation of Bison can thrive regardless of their economic circumstances.
Howard’s commitment to social mobility is unmatched. The university was named the top institution in the D.C. metropolitan area for helping economically challenged students achieve upward mobility. Carnegie and ACE also recognized it as a national “Opportunity College” for its high access and high earnings outcomes. Among R1 schools, Howard has the highest enrollment ratio of Pell Grant recipients and underrepresented students, with graduates earning the highest median salaries among all HBCU alumni.
Part of Scott’s unrestricted gift will also fund new construction and renovations across campus, projects designed to match the institution’s growing research enterprise and attract top-tier scholars. These include new living and learning spaces, as well as commercial developments aimed at recruiting the best and brightest, particularly Black men. A portion of the funds will also be placed in a reserve to protect against federal funding delays caused by government shutdowns.
Scott’s deep connection to Howard extends beyond philanthropy; it’s personal. She was a student of the late, great, Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, a proud Howard alumna who became Scott’s thesis adviser and lifelong mentor while at Princeton. Scott has often credited Morrison with shaping her creative and professional journey.
“This writer that I admired so much also turned out to be such a gifted and devoted teacher,” Scott once said during the dedication of Princeton’s Morrison Hall. “She has given me a real example of a life of passionate devotion to more than one calling.”
The relationship between the two women evolved from a mentor-student dynamic to a lasting friendship. In letters preserved at Princeton, Scott thanked Morrison for her “criticism and encouragement, therapy and breathing lessons.” Morrison later helped Scott secure a career in finance, a move that led her to meet Jeff Bezos, whom she would marry and co-found Amazon with.
Even after achieving success, Scott continued to seek Morrison’s feedback. When she completed her debut novel, Morrison told her, “Your hand is sure, your technical ability sophisticated. Don’t worry about overdoing it at this point. It is so much easier to cut back than to write up.” The mentorship paid off, with Scott later winning the American Book Award for her novel The Testing of Luther Albright.
Now, Scott’s philanthropic legacy at Howard comes full circle. Through her extraordinary giving, she is empowering generations of students and scholars to continue the cycle of impact that Morrison began, turning knowledge, creativity, and generosity into lifelong transformation.
Cover photo: Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott Donates Another $80 Million to Howard University/Photo credit: Tyrone Turner/ DCist/WAMU