The Shirley Verrett Award, was established in honor of the late University of Michigan James Earl Jones Distinguished University Professor of Voice; a teacher who "would have walked the world over for her students." An internationally acclaimed opera singer who performed over 40 roles all over the world during the course of her illustrious four decade career, Ms. Verrett was one of the pioneering leaders in the generation of black singers after Marian Anderson\&##39;s historical Metropolitan Opera debut in 1955. Charles OyamO Gordon ( Professor of English Language and Literature, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Professor of Theatre and Drama, School of Music, Theatre & Dance) is the 2014 Shirley Verrett Award recipient. A light reception will precede th eceremony. Performances at the event will include acclaimed opera singers Marcia Porter (cousin and former student of Shirley Verrett) and Daniel Washington, U-M\&##39;s Associate Dean for Faculty and Multi-Cultural Affairs and Professor of Voice in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. There will also be a tribute to Lester Monts, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, and Professor of Music (Ethnomusicology) in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, for his unwavering support and advocacy for WOCAP, and his vision for establishing the Shirley Verrett Award as a way of keeping her legacy alive at U-M.