Three-star general to return to lead Hampton University
By: Angela Jones
In less than two months, long-serving Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey will retire and retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Darrell K. Williams will take the help to steer the university into the future. Under
Dr. Harvey’s leadership, Hampton has grown leaps and bounds. According to recent reports, Hampton University’s endowment has soared from $29 million to $400 million over the last 44 years.
The university has also added 92 new programs during Dr. Harvey’s tenure. Another impressive accomplishment of Hampton University, under Harvey’s leadership, was the launch of its own Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite. AIM is the first NASA mission to be led by an HBCU.
Dr. Harvey also championed the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute. With very large shoes to fill, Williams is no stranger to leading a large organization, nor does he lack academic leadership skills. “I love Hampton and bring a wealth of strategic leadership experiences, including management of large global organizations, as well as the academic and nonprofit experience necessary to successfully lead the university,”
Williams said. The 1983 Hampton Institute graduate’s last leadership role in the army was director of the Department of Defense’s Defense Logistics Agency where he led 26,000military and civilian professionals
and was responsible for $40 billion in global logistical support. Lt. Gen. Williams earned three graduate degrees. His wife, Myra Richardson Williams, also graduated from Hampton Institute in 1983.