The Langston Hughes Visiting Professorship was established at the University of Kansas in 1977 in honor of the African American poet, playwright and fiction writer who lived in Lawrence from 1903 to 1916. The Professorship brings a prominent or emerging minority scholar to the University for one semester each year. The Langston Hughes Professorship has been a valuable vehicle for bringing prominent minority scholars to the University for visiting appointments, as well as for recruiting permanent faculty.