Lincoln University to Honor Class of 2026 at Commencement Ceremonies

Lincoln University of Missouri will honor the Class of 2026 with two commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 9, at the Robert and Charlene Mitchell Auditorium in the Richardson Fine Arts Center in Jefferson City.

Lincoln University of Missouri will celebrate the class of 2026 at two commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 9, at Robert and Charlene Mitchell Auditorium in Richardson Fine Arts Center, 710 E. Dunklin St. in Jefferson City.

The 9 a.m. ceremony will confer degrees on graduates of the following departments:

• Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
• Humanities and Communication
• Science, Technology and Mathematics
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Liberal Studies

U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams of North Carolina will deliver the commencement address at the 9 a.m. ceremony. Elected to Congress in 2014, Adams has championed several educational initiatives during her time in Washington, D.C. She holds degrees from North Carolina A&T and Ohio State, and is a member of the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame.

U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams (North Carolina).

At the 9 a.m. ceremony, Adams and Crockett Oaks III — executive director and founder of the Lincoln School Project in West Plains — will each receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Lincoln.

The 1 p.m. ceremony will confer degrees on graduates of the College of Professional Studies, which includes:

• School of Business
• School of Education
• School of Nursing

The School of Nursing Pinning Ceremony will follow at 4 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell of Missouri will deliver the commencement address at the 1 p.m. ceremony. The freshman congressman from Ferguson is a graduate of Lindenwood University and the University of Missouri Law School and is the former St. Louis County prosecuting attorney.

U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell (Missouri).

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 will award associate, bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degrees during commencement events.

Each graduate will receive eight tickets to commencement. For those guests who wish to join their graduate on campus but do not have a ticket, overflow viewing will be available in Pawley Theatre in Martin Luther King Hall, 812 E. Dunklin St. The event will also be live streamed on Lincoln's live stream page.

Commencement rehearsal is Friday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Richardson Fine Arts Center, followed by the Senior Toast in the Dorothy E. Steward Art Gallery on the second floor of Richardson Fine Arts Center at 11 a.m. Senior Toast is by invitation only; RSVP required.