Meet the nurse who just became the first Black man to lead one of America’s historic nursing schools
FNA News, Lagos Nigeria, 8th September 2026.
Dr Michael L. Jones has been appointed dean of Hampton University’s School of Nursing, becoming the first Black man to lead the school in its 135-year history.
The appointment was announced by the Virginia university in late July 2026 and reported locally this month. Jones is a Hampton alumnus, a registered nurse and a first-generation nursing student.
The School of Nursing was founded in 1891. It is one of the oldest nursing programmes at a historically Black college or university (HBCU) and the oldest continuously operating nursing school in Virginia.
👉 Join Fellow Nurses Africa on WhatsApp
Jones is also reported to be only the second Black man to lead a standalone nursing programme at an HBCU. He does not lead the university itself. He leads its nursing school.
Why this appointment matters
Nursing in the United States still has a narrow leadership pipeline.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), 8.6% of registered nurses identified as Black or African American as of 2024. The share of men in nursing fell from 11.2% in 2022 to 10.4% in 2024.
Jones’s appointment sits inside that gap: a Black man, a first-generation nurse and an HBCU-trained researcher now running one of the country’s historic nursing schools.
“I want to be a positive role model and, kind of, an example for those who are coming along behind me,” he said.
Who Michael Jones is
Jones grew up in Leake County, Mississippi. He began college at East Central Community College, then completed undergraduate nursing education at Meridian Community College and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
He earned his Ph.D. in nursing from Hampton in 2020. The university says he was the first African American man to finish Hampton’s doctoral nursing programme, and the first African American man to earn a Ph.D. in nursing from an HBCU. His dissertation examined rural community nurses and family stigma related to HIV/AIDS.
Hampton President Darrell K. Williams said Jones
“understands the significance of Hampton’s nursing legacy and is uniquely positioned to lead the School of Nursing into its next era of excellence.”
Jones said the university “shaped me not only as a scholar, but as a servant leader.” Returning to lead the school, he said, “is both an honor and a responsibility.”
The career behind the title
Jones returns to Hampton after more than 20 years in practice, teaching, research and health administration.
Most recently he was inaugural associate dean for engagement and professional development, and a clinical associate professor, at East Carolina University’s College of Nursing. Earlier he served as Richards Endowed Graduate Nursing Chair at Brenau University and as chief community health officer at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he worked on access-to-care and emergency-department diversion.
He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN). Other roles listed by Hampton include vice president and executive director of the Network of Black Male Nurse Leaders, managing editor of The Nurses Magazine, and service with AACN, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and the ANA/SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program.
In a previous post he founded the Emerging Health Care Scholars Leadership Institute, which introduced young men from backgrounds like his to nursing and to people already in the profession.
He is scheduled to join the inaugural cohort of Fellows of the American Association for Men in Nursing in October 2026.
The school he now leads
Hampton’s nursing school has trained nurses for more than 130 years, beginning in an era when professional pathways for Black nurses were severely limited.
The university says the appointment comes as health systems face workforce shortages and need nurse leaders who can handle complex public health work. Jones has said he wants to raise academic standards, expand research and keep a focus on health equity.
He is the father of two children, Mikayla and Dylan, who live in Byram, Mississippi.
What to take from the story
This is a leadership appointment, not a claim that Jones is the first Black male dean in America. The verified first is narrower and still significant: the first Black man to run Hampton’s historic nursing school, with a rare parallel across standalone HBCU nursing programmes.
For students, that distinction is practical. It puts a first-generation Black male nurse, trained at the same institution, in charge of admissions culture, faculty development, research and the public face of the programme.
👉 Join Fellow Nurses Africa on WhatsApp
Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African nursing, we educate, inform and support nurses across Africa.
Kehinde Oluwatosin is one of the many editors here at Fellow Nurses Africa and fellownurses.com.
He is a registered nurse with a Master of Science degree in healthcare leadership from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. Kehinde is passionate about advancing the nursing profession across Africa. As Co-Founder of Fellow Nurses Africa, he plays a key role in shaping editorial direction, ensuring our content educates, informs, and empowers nurses continent-wide.
With expertise in leadership, patient flow, and healthcare operations, Kehinde brings valuable insights to nursing news, career development, and policy discussions. He is committed to amplifying the voice of African nurses and driving positive change in the profession.
