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Howard University Appoints ‘Cosby Show’ Actress as New College of Fine Arts Dean

Howard University Appoints ‘Cosby Show’ Actress as New College of Fine Arts Dean

“majored in theater acting and earned a bachelor’s in fine arts from Howard in 1970”

You may remember actress Phylicia Rashad as the iconic mom on the Cosby Show. This is a win for the school.

Forbes reports:

Howard University Appoints Phylicia Rashad As College Of Fine Arts Dean

Phylicia Rashad, known for her portrayal of Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show, is returning to her alma mater as the new dean of Howard University’s reestablished College of Fine Arts.

Howard announced the appointment after a nationwide search to fill the position.

Rashad, 72, majored in theater acting and earned a bachelor’s in fine arts from Howard in 1970, She will assume the new position on July 1.

She began her career on Broadway in the 1972 musical Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death. Between her television and film work she returned to the stage and won a Tony Award for her 2004 performance in A Raisin in the Sun.

In a statement, Howard University Provost Anthony K. Wutoh said “It is an honor to welcome one of Howard’s acclaimed daughters back home to [her] Alma Mater.”

This role is not Rashad’s first foray into education. She has served as guest professor and lecturer at several colleges and universities including New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Carnegie Mellon, and The Juilliard School. She was the first recipient of the Denzel Washington Endowed Chairs in Theatre at Fordham University in New York.

The addition of Rashad reestablishes Howard’s College of Fine Arts. The College’s alumni include Toni Morrison, Debbie Allen, Isaiah Washington, Roberta Flack, Chadwick Boseman and Taraji P. Henson. As a result of an effort to cut costs, the university merged the College of Fine Arts with its College of Arts and Sciences in 1998, absorbing the program altogether.

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Comments

henrybowman | May 15, 2021 at 5:06 pm

How many deans begin the job at 72?