Howard University will officially observe the beginning of the 2005-2006 academic year with the 138th Opening Convocation on Friday, Sept 23, at 11 a.m. in Cramton Auditorium. Congressman Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) will be the guest orator.

Currently serving his fifth term in the House of Representatives, Ford took office in 1996 at age 26. He sits on the House’s Budget and Financial Services committees. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Transformation Advisory Group, a group of political, military and academic leaders who are working with the Department of Defense’s civilian and military leadership to transform the armed forces to meet existing and new national security threats; Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate and fiscally conservative Democrats that has built a reputation for promoting positions that bridge the gap between ideological extremes; Community Solutions and Initiatives Caucus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers that seeks to help faith and community based groups solve social challenges; and the Congressional Savings and Ownership Caucus, a bi-partisan coalition dedicated to advancing policies to build savings and assets for all Americans, and low-income Americans in particular.