White House official on HBCU initiative is spring 2012 commencement speaker

John S. Wilson, Jr., the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, will be the commencement speaker at Southern University’s spring 2012 graduation ceremony May 18 in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

The event begins at 10:30 a.m.

As executive director, Wilson partners the White House, 32 federal agencies, private and philanthropic entities to work to assist 105 HBCUs across the country.

Wilson received his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, a master’s of Theological Studies from Harvard University and both a master’s and doctoral in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University.

Prior to working with the White House Initiative on HBCUs, Wilson was an associate professor of higher education in the graduate school of education at the George Washington University. He also served as the executive dean of GWU’s Virginia Campus and helped to develop a strategic plan for the university.