By Hampton University
Hampton University announced that President William R. Harvey will serve as the University’s 152nd Commencement speaker on May 8, 2022. This will be Dr. Harvey’s final commencement as the university’s 12th President. Commencement will be held at Armstrong Stadium at 10 a.m.
“For more than four decades, Dr. William R. Harvey has made an indelible imprint on the landscape of higher education,” said Dr. Karen Ward, Chair of the Ceremonial Occasions Committee and Old Dominion Endowed Chair of Fine and Performing Arts. “Hampton University is honored to have Dr. Harvey present words of encouragement and congratulations as he recognizes this milestone in our graduates’ lives.”
Dr. Harvey has served as President of Hampton University for 44 years, making him one of the longest-serving presidents of a college or university in America. During his tenure, he has introduced innovations that have solidified Hampton’s stellar position among the nation’s colleges and universities. His extraordinary leadership is reflected in the growth and quality of the University’s student population, academic programs, physical facilities, and financial base.
During Dr. Harvey’s 44 years of visionary leadership, 92 new programs have been introduced, 30 new structures dot the landscape of the campus surrounded on three sides by water and the university’s endowment has grown 1,279% from $29 million to $400 million and growing. Dr. Harvey has transformed Hampton University into a world-class leader in higher education. He has received appointments to national boards by six presidents of the United States and led important community and educational initiatives in Virginia.
Hampton University has built the first proton therapy cancer treatment center in the Commonwealth of Virginia — an unparalleled hub for cancer treatment, research, and technology. Hampton University is the first and only HBCU to have 100% control of a NASA mission and Hampton has four satellites/instruments currently in orbit.
An astute businessman, Dr. Harvey has applied his business acumen to the needs of Hampton University. In the process, he established student scholarships, created jobs, provided services, and increased the number of African-American entrepreneurs, while expanding the tax base in the City of Hampton.
In addition to the distinguished leadership Dr. Harvey has provided to Hampton University, he is the sole owner of the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Houghton, Michigan. He and his wife, Mrs. Norma B. Harvey have three children and five grandchildren.
