Bouchet Graduate Honor Society

Bouchet Society

The Bouchet Graduate Honor Society was co-founded in 2005 by Yale and Howard Universities and named for Edward Alexander Bouchet, the first African American doctoral recipient in the United States. The Bouchet Graduate Honor Society seeks to develop a network of preeminent scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support, and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for students in the academy.

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Congratulations 2025 Bouchet Scholars

Five graduate scholars have been inducted into the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society for their strong commitment to character, leadership, advocacy, scholarship, and service.

Meet the Scholars

Bouchet Society at UC San Diego

We seek to develop a network of preeminent scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support, and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for students in the academy.

The Bouchet Graduate Honor Society is open to all PhD students in high academic standing and who have advanced to candidacy. The Bouchet Graduate Honor Society does not consider race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories as part of the application and selection process.

More information about the annual call for nominations, applications, and scholar selection can be found on our Collab page.

Edward A. Bouchet

Born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1852, Edward Alexander Bouchet is best known for becoming the first African-American to earn a doctorate degree in the United States (1876). The youngest of four children, Bouchet attended New Haven High School and continued his education at the Hopkins Grammar School. Bouchet graduated valedictorian of his class from Hopkins in 1870. That fall, he entered Yale College (later renamed Yale University) in pursuit of a bachelor's degree.

Proposition 209 Compliance

In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories. All programs and initiatives coordinated by the University of California Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs are designed and implemented in full compliance with Proposition 209 and the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy.

More information about Proposition 209 can be found here.

More information about the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy can be found here.