Howard University has decided to rename its School of Communications after media mogul Cathy Hughes, founder of Radio One, Inc.—the largest Black-owned multimedia company in the world.
Hughes’ son, Alfred C. Liggins III, president and CEO of Radio One, Inc., gave a multimillion-dollar gift to the School of Communications, said Dr. Wayne A. I Frederick, Howard University’s president.
“The Howard community is thrilled that Mr. Liggins has chosen to honor his mother, Ms. Cathy Hughes, in this manner for her pioneering work in the field of communications,” said Frederick. “The gift will have a transformational impact on the School’s commitment to serve the communications industry and as a high-level producer of diverse media specialists.”
Howard will officially honor the Omaha, Nebraska, native at its homecoming festivities later this month with a reception that is expected to draw dozens of celebrities and business leaders.
Hughes, 69, is no stranger to the private Black college located in the nation’s capital. She worked for many years as a lecturer and then became general manager of the university’s popular on-campus radio station, WHUR-FM.
When Radio One went public in 1999, Hughes became the first African-American woman to run a publically traded company. Today, Radio One owns and operates 55 radio stations in 16 U.S markets. The company also owns TV One, a cable/satellite network that serves more than 60 million households.
The decision to rename the School of Communications after Hughes comes six years after Howard quietly dropped the name of John H. Johnson — the founder of Ebony and Jet magazines—from its building.
