Visiting Professorship


Our Department is the permanent home of the Langston Hughes Visiting Professorship, but the position is shared annually with another department. A professor outside the University of Kansas is invited by the Provost to hold this position in the spring semester every year. The visiting professor teaches two courses that are normally cross-listed with our Department and another department.

The Langston Hughes Visiting Professorship was established at KU in 1977 in honor of the African-American poet, playwright and fiction writer who lived in Lawrence from 1903 to 1916. The professorship brings a prominent or emerging minority scholar to the university for one semester each year. The Langston Hughes Professorship has been a valuable vehicle for bringing prominent minority scholars to KU for visiting appointments, as well as for recruiting permanent faculty.

For more information about the Langston Hughes Visiting Professorship and how to nominate, please contact Associate Dean Nicholas Syrett at syrett@ku.edu.

  • 1978 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Arthur Drayton
  • 1980 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: William Warfield
  • 1982 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Cladio Gutierrez
  • 1983 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: William Julius Wilson
  • 1985 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Rennard Strickland
  • 1986 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Surendra Bhana
  • 1989 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Robert T. Coles
  • 1990 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Mervyn Alleyne
  • 1991 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Joel Adedeji
  • 1992 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Fall- Daniel Williams; Spring- Kwabena Nketia
  • 1994 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: John Edgar Tidwell
  • 1995 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Carol Ann Carter
  • 1998 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Maryemma Graham
  • 1999 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Kenneth Hamilton
  • 2000 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Emmanuel Obiechina
  • 2001 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Maxine Claire
  • 2003 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Ralph Crowder
  • 2004 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor : Madison Lacy
  • 2005 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor : Albert Broussard
  • 2006 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Tayari Jones
  • 2008 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor : Randal Jelks
  • 2009 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Henry Miller
  • 2010 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Adam Banks
  • 2011 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Clarence Lang
  • 2012 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Tammy Kernodle
  • 2013 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: David G. Holmes
  • 2013  Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Matthew Pettway
  • 2014 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Ayesha Hardison
  • 2014 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Folashade Agusto
  • 2015 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Alcides Velasquez
  • 2015 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Omar Gudiño
  • 2016 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Sarah Deer
  • 2017 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor:: Baron Kelly
  • 2018 Langston Hughes Visiting Professor: Gregory Crichlow