Lincoln University Honors Congresswoman Alma Adams at Commencement

U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams receives an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Lincoln University during the May 9, 2026, commencement ceremony.

Lincoln University of Missouri celebrated the career and accomplishments of U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams of North Carolina by conferring an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on her at Lincoln’s May 9 commencement ceremony. The award is in recognition of Adams’ commitment to education and public service. 

Lincoln University President John Moseley hailed the congresswoman’s passion for historically Black colleges and universities, saying, “there are few greater champions, if any, in our world today for HBCUs.”

Adams represents the 12th Congressional District of North Carolina, a seat she was elected to in 2014. She serves on the House Committee on Education & Workforce and the House Committee on Agriculture. Her signature legislative accomplishment is the 2019 enactment of the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act that provides $255 million a year for all minority-serving institutions, including $85 million for historically Black colleges and universities. She also established a new $50 million research and development grant program for HBCUs and minority-serving institutions. As the co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus, Adams has helped secure $40 million for HBCUs for scholarships, funding for newly established centers of excellence in agriculture, and additional funding for agricultural research and cooperative extension for 1890 land-grant universities.

A graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, Adams also holds a master’s degree in art education from NCA&T. She earned her Ph.D. in art education and multicultural education from Ohio State University. She has been awarded the North Carolina A&T State University Human Rights Medal and was inducted into the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame.

This is a landmark year for Lincoln University as it celebrates the 160th anniversary of its founding by Black soldiers at the end of the Civil War. The university awarded associate, bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degrees during commencement events last weekend. Noted preservationist Crockett Oaks III, who serves as executive director and founder of the Lincoln School Project in West Plains, Missouri, also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. 

Adams also gave the keynote address at the 9 a.m. ceremony. Calling herself “HBCU strong,” she urged the 2026 graduates to “give back. Give your time. Give your talent. Give your voice.”