Spring Graduation 2010

Hughes to Deliver Commencement Address

By April C. Thornton

The end of spring semester is quickly approaching and the Bowie State University family will soon say goodbye to the class of 2010. As graduates walk across the stage to receive their degrees, they will wave farewell to the institution that prepared them for life.

Nearly 600 degrees in more than 40 academic programs will be conferred at the 2010 Spring Commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. May 21 at Bulldog Stadium.

Cathy Hughes, chairperson of the board of directors and secretary of Radio-One, will deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary degree. Hughes is one of the founders of the largest African-American owned and operated broadcast company in the country.

Hughes always had a passion for radio. She was determined to create something that showed minority communities in a positive light and connecting them to a common interest. Since stepping foot in the Radio-One corporation in 1980, she has held various positions such as talk show host, chief executive officer and president, among other roles. As time passed, Hughes decided to make the Radio-One brand appeal to a much larger audience and created even more success than previous years.

In May 1999, Hughes and her son Alfred Liggins, president and CEO, took their company public. Today, Radio-One's estimated worth is $2 billion. However, the success does not stop there. In 2000, Black Enterprise magazine named Radio-One as its "Company of the Year," Fortune magazine rated the company as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" and Radio-One was inducted into the Maryland Business Hall of Fame.

Hughes has been recognized for many of her accomplishments, such as her "dedication to minority communities, entrepreneurial spirit and mentoring of women. She made history when she became the first African-American woman with a company on the New York Stock Exchange. Essence magazine named her one of the "100 who Have Changed the World," Washingtonian magazine named her one of the "100 Powerful and Influential Person," Ebony magazine mentioned her as one if the "10 Most Powerful Women in Black America" and the list goes on.

Her devotion to raising awareness in the minority communities has won her countless awards, such as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington Area Broadcasters Association and the National Association of Broadcasters' Distinguished Service Award, among other honors.