In awarding the 2026 honorary degrees, President Maurie McInnis read the following personalized citation.
Forty-seventh mayor of your native city of Baltimore, former dean of the Howard School of Law, and current president of the University of Baltimore: as a Yale undergraduate you gained the respect of the faculty when you stood before them during political unrest and asked for their guidance and moral leadership. Since then, you have provided your own guidance and moral leadership nationally, and especially to the city you love. Co-founder of the New Haven Calvin Hill Daycare Center in 1972, you went on, in Baltimore, to initiate outstanding programs in urban renewal and neighborhood revitalization. You also have been a profound believer in education, devoting your life to institutions that empower people through learning.
Engaged educator and steadfast civil servant, grateful for your lifelong service to Yale, which culminated in your years as Yale’s senior trustee, and proud of your service to the nation, Yale rejoices in acknowledging a cherished son with a second Yale degree, Doctor of Laws.
Kurt Schmoke, pioneering American lawyer and politician and president of the University of Baltimore, has made significant contributions to public service, education, and law. As the first elected African American mayor of Baltimore, his innovative approaches to crime reduction and drug policy have left a lasting impact on the city. He is well-recognized for his dedication to improving urban education and fostering community development.
Born Kurt Lidell Schmoke on December 1, 1949, in Baltimore, Maryland, he attended Baltimore City College high school, and went on to study at Yale University, where he played lacrosse and football and served as the first Black secretary of a Yale College class. While at Yale, he co-founded the Calvin Hill Day Care Center and Kindergarten, which has served the New Haven community since 1970. Schmoke has been acknowledged for his leadership during the tense period of the New Haven Black Panther trials in 1970, where his eloquent appeal for moral guidance from the Yale faculty is credited with preventing campus-wide unrest and fostering a spirit of cooperation among students and faculty. Schmoke earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale in 1971 and attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, receiving a degree in politics, philosophy, and economics. He then completed his law degree at Harvard Law School in 1976.
Schmoke’s professional journey began with his appointment as assistant director of the White House Domestic Policy Staff under President Jimmy Carter and as an assistant United States attorney for the District of Maryland. He served as the state’s attorney for Baltimore City from 1982 to 1987. Schmoke’s commitment to public service led him to run for mayor of Baltimore in 1987, and he served three terms from 1987 to 1999. During his tenure as mayor, he initiated programs in housing, education, public health, and economic development. Notably, President George H.W. Bush awarded him the National Literacy Award in 1992 for his efforts to promote adult literacy. In 1994, President Bill Clinton praised his initiatives to improve public housing and community economic development, naming Baltimore one of six cities to receive Empowerment Zone designation.
Following his terms as mayor, Schmoke returned to the practice of law as a partner at Wilmer, Cutler, and Pickering. He was actively involved in the American Bar Association and the National Bar Association, serving as chair of the ABA’s Council on Racial and Ethnic Justice. Schmoke had dedicated pro bono legal services to organizations like the Children’s Health Forum, which combats lead poisoning among youth. In 2003, he was appointed dean of Howard University School of Law, a position he held until 2012 when he became the university’s general counsel. His focus at Howard included increasing bar passage rates and expanding clinical programs in environmental justice, fair housing, and civil rights. He also served as Howard’s interim provost from 2013 to 2014.
In July 2014, Schmoke was appointed the eighth president of the University of Baltimore. In this role, he has worked to expand academic programs, enhance community engagement, and increase student enrollment. His connection to Yale remains strong; Schmoke served as a successor trustee to the university from 1989 to 2002 and received the Yale Athletic Department’s George H.W. Bush Lifetime of Leadership Award in 2007, and the Yale Alumni Association’s highest honor, the Yale Medal, in 2020.
Kurt Schmoke is married to Dr. Patricia L. Schmoke, an ophthalmologist, and they have two adult children, Gregory and Katherine.
