HAMPTON, Va. — Hampton University "officially" has a new president after retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and alumni Darrell K. Williams was inaugurated in a ceremony Saturday afternoon.
Williams is the 13th president of the historic HBCU. He succeeds Dr. William Harvey, the renowned educator who served as university's president for 43 years.
Williams graduated from Hampton University in 1983 after going through its ROTC program. He served in the military for 37 years before retiring in 2020, and held a multitude of leadership positions.
“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 at the time his selection was announced.
“I am thrilled to have been selected as the next president. I will work tirelessly with students, faculty, staff, alumni and the broader community to prepare our graduates for today and for the continuously evolving, technology-driven workforce of tomorrow,” he said.
Williams was selected by The Board of Trustees from a pool of almost 300 applicants.
The man he succeeded - William Harvey - was the longest-serving president in Hampton University's history and held one of the longest tenures of any sitting university president in the country at the time of his retirement in June, 2022.
Harvey's 43 years at the helm produced a legacy that includes inaugurating more than 90 new academic degrees, a dozen new doctoral programs, 29 new buildings, the establishment of the largest free standing proton beam cancer center in the world, launching four satellites still flying in space and an endowment that has grown from $29 million to over $300 million.
Although his official inauguration took place Saturday, Williams has been serving as president since Harvey stepped down in June of 2022.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Congressman Bobby Scott were both in attendance at the ceremony.
"This day truly belongs to H.U.," Williams said in his inauguration speech. "To everyone connected to this amazing campus."