Born in Kinston, North Carolina, Howard received a B.S. from United States Military Academy at West Point in 1962 and a J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1970. From 1962 to 1972, he served as a major in the United States Army. He was a Legislative counsel, U.S. Secretary of the Army, from 1971 to 1972. After his military service, he worked as General counsel and marketing manager for Dixon Marketing, Inc., Kinston, North Carolina, in 1972. He was an assistant U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of North Carolina from 1973 to 1974. In 1974, he was a Deputy special counsel, Executive Office of the President of the United States. He was in private practice in Greenville, North Carolina from 1975 to 1988, and was a Civilian aide, U.S. Secretary of the Army for North Carolina, from 1986 to 1988.