Oliver Otis Howard was a prominent American military officer and statesman of the 19th century. He was a highly respected Union Army general during the American Civil War and later became the founder of the historically black Howard University. Howard was born in Maine in 1830 and had a distinguished career in the military, education, and civil rights.

Howard attended Bowdoin College and graduated in 1850. After a brief stint as a teacher, he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1854. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Artillery and served in Florida and Oregon before the outbreak of the Civil War.

At the start of the Civil War, Howard was promoted to colonel and served with distinction in several battles, including the Battle of Seven Pines, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Chancellorsville. In 1863, he was promoted to brigadier general and given command of the XI Corps of the Army of the Potomac.

Howard is best known for his role in the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. On the first day of the battle, his corps was stationed on Cemetery Hill and held off repeated Confederate attacks until reinforcements arrived. Despite sustaining heavy losses, Howard's troops held their position and helped turn the tide of the battle in favor of the Union.

After the Civil War, Howard was appointed as the commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau, which was responsible for helping former slaves transition to freedom. He played a significant role in establishing schools for African Americans and advocating for their civil rights.

In 1867, Howard founded Howard University in Washington, D.C., which was the first historically black college in the United States. He served as the university's president until 1873 and helped shape its mission to provide education and opportunities to African Americans.

Throughout his life, Howard was a staunch advocate for civil rights and social justice. He was a member of the Radical Republican Party and supported the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which granted citizenship and voting rights to African Americans. He also supported the temperance movement and advocated for the rights of Native Americans.

In recognition of his service to the country, Howard was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1893 for his actions at Gettysburg. He died in 1909 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.