Hampton University names next president

A Hampton University graduate and retired Army lieutenant general will be the next president of Hampton University.

Darrell K. Williams will succeed William R. Harvey as Hampton’s next president. Harvey announced his retirement in December 2020. His last day will be June 30.

“Running a university is complex, as was made evident by the global pandemic. When President Harvey told us of his decision to retire, we knew we wanted to build upon what he has accomplished,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Wes Coleman in a statement. “We embarked on a search for a proven strategic leader. The skills Lt. Gen. Williams is bringing to Hampton encompass what institutions of our size need. In a global world increasingly dependent on technology, this kind of strategic leadership expertise and knowledge can only help to move our institution forward over the coming decades.”

Williams, of Alexandria, graduated in 1983 and now works for Leidos Holdings Inc. He serves as Leidos United Kingdom vice president and managing director of the U.K. Ministry of Defence Logistics Commodities and Services Transformation Programme. He retired from the Army in 2020 after 37 years. He was the first African American and 19th director of the Department of Defense’s Defense Logistics Agency, where he oversaw 26,000 civilian and military members.

From 2015 to 2017, Williams led the Army Combined Arms Support Command and Fort Lee, Va.

A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Williams earned his bachelor’s degree at Hampton and then earned three master’s degrees: an MBA from Pennsylvania State University, a master’s in military art and science from the Army Combined and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and a master’s in national security strategy from the National War College at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C.

The Hampton University Board of Trustees selected Williams on March 30 and he accepted the position on April 8, according to the university.

“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 in a statement. “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.”

Harvey is one of the nation’s longest-serving university presidents and will retire after 44 years at the historically Black private university. When he announced his retirement, he was the eighth longest-serving university president currently serving a term.

Some of Harvey’s most notable accomplishments include overseeing the creation of 92 academic degrees, including 12 doctoral programs, the construction of 29 new buildings and the growth of the university’s endowment from $29 million to more than $300 million.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.