[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 99 (Thursday, June 9, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E607]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING PRESIDENT DR. WILLIAM R. HARVEY ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM HAMPTON 
                               UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 9, 2022

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Dr. William R. Harvey for his 44 years of extraordinary service as the 
president of Hampton University, ending one of the longest serving 
tenures of any sitting college president in our country.
  After obtaining degrees from Talladega College, Virginia State 
University and Harvard University, Dr. Harvey became the 12th president 
of Hampton University, then-named Hampton Institute, in 1978. A native 
of Alabama, he looked forward to returning to the south and working at 
an Historically Black College & University (HBCU) after receiving his 
doctorate at Harvard.
  Over the course of his legendary tenure, he has ensured that Hampton 
University has remained focused on both the academic achievement and 
personal development of its students. He has remained responsive to the 
needs of his students, building one of the nation's most premiere 
institutes of higher education, and he has overseen the graduation of 
more than 38,000 students.
  Under Dr. Harvey's presidency, Hampton has built over 30 new 
buildings, introduced over 90 new degree-granting programs, including 
12 doctorates. The average SAT score for accepted students has risen by 
more than 300 points during his tenure. Thanks to Dr. Harvey's 
visionary leadership, Hampton University is home to the world's largest 
freestanding proton beam cancer treatment institute. It also became the 
first HBCU to lead a NASA mission, launching weather and atmospheric 
research satellites into space. The university's endowment, which stood 
at $29 million when he became president, has grown exponentially under 
his tenure and now exceeds $400 million, securing a bright future for 
the university for generations to come.
  Most recently, Dr. Harvey successfully guided Hampton University 
through the COVID-19 pandemic by following the science. Also leading by 
example, Dr. Harvey recently opened the doors of Hampton for the 
upcoming summer semester to refugees displaced by the Russian War in 
Ukraine.
  Aside from his work at Hampton University, Dr. Harvey has served on 
numerous boards, including the National Geographic Society, National 
Merit Scholarship Corporation, and National Collegiate Athletic 
Association. He is also the sole owner of a plant that bottles Pepsi 
products in Houghton, Michigan. Dr. Harvey has been the recipient of 
many accolades and awards over the years, including the Daily Press 
Citizen of the Year and the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities 
Humanitarian Award.
  Madam Speaker, as the Hampton University community gathers this 
weekend to celebrate a truly remarkable leader, I want to congratulate 
Dr. Harvey on 44 years of legendary service to Hampton University, the 
Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation. I also want to thank Norma 
Harvey, his wife and partner for over 50 years, for her countless 
contributions, and their three children--Kelly Renee, William 
Christopher, and Leslie Denise--and five grandchildren, Taylor, 
Gabrielle Lauren, Victoria, and Chloe. I thank Dr. Harvey for his 
decades of service and extend congratulations on a well-deserved 
retirement.

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