The New School inaugurated the W.E.B. DuBois Lectures in 1991. In the first announcement in the Adult Division's Fall 1991 New School course catalog, the university advertised that the series would feature talks by "distinguished African-Americans and African political leaders." The university's annual report for 1991-1992 notes that the series was sponsored by Trustee William H. Hayden. W.E.B. DuBois taught history courses at The New School in the late 1940s, and this series was named in his honor. The 2001 lecture may have been the final event in the lecture series.