WASHINGTON (CN) – Former FBI director James Comey will deliver a keynote address to welcome incoming Howard University students next month, after which he will join the university to lead a lecture series.
The university said Wednesday that it appointed Comey as the 2017-2018 Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair in Public Policy.
The historically black university established the King Chair to give students access to experienced public servants who have helped develop and advance public policy initiatives.
"I am honored to hold the King Chair this school year. Howard has a longstanding history of being a vibrant academic community and the perfect place to have rich dialogue on many of the most pressing issues we face today,” Comey said in a statement. “I look forward to contributing to this remarkable institution and engaging students and faculty alike."
Comey will serve as the fifth King Chair and will consult with student leaders and other university stakeholders to determine topics for the five-lecture series, the university said.
Comey, whom President Donald Trump fired in May, will kick off his stint with Howard by giving the opening convocation address to the class of 2021 on September 22.
Howard University president Wayne Frederick said he is pleased to welcome Comey to the university.
“His expertise and understanding of the challenges we continue to face today will go a long way in sparking rich discussion and advancing meaningful debates across campus," Frederick said in a statement.
Comey served as the FBI's seventh director. He came under fire from Democrats during the election for his handling of the FBI's investigation of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state.
The Trump administration at first blamed Comey's firing on his circumvention of the Justice Department's chain of command during the investigation. Trump, however, later hinted to NBC News that he fired Comey over the FBI's probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and whether any Trump campaign officials coordinated with that effort.
Comey testified in June before Congress that Trump had asked him to drop the FBI's investigation of his former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
According to Howard University, Comey will donate all of his King chair salary - $100,000 - to a university scholarship fund for students coming from foster homes.
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