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Liberty honors longtime Hampton University president, pledges scholarship support

Courtesy of Hampton University – University Relations

Liberty University has continued its support of a friend in higher education in Virginia, Hampton University, by recognizing the contributions of retired Hampton President Dr. William Harvey.

A group of Liberty representatives, which included vice presidents, deans, and Provost Scott Hicks, attended a gala in his honor last week, celebrating his legacy and contribution to higher education for 44 years.

Liberty and Hampton, a prominent Historically Black College or University (HBCU), have maintained a strong relationship for years, partnering on multiple trips and events, including the Washington Symposium and U.S. Senate Debates, where students from both universities engaged with members of Congress. Dr. Harvey was a guest speaker at a Liberty Convocation in Spring 2019.

“It was an honor to be a part of the Liberty delegation celebrating Dr. Harvey’s 44 years of leadership,” said Robert Hurt, dean of Liberty’s Helms School of Government. “It was especially nice to reflect on the Washington trips and U.S. Senate debates that we have co-hosted together. I cannot overstate the value that I believe that these experiences have brought to our students, and I am thankful to Dr. Harvey for making them possible.”

“We want to support our collegiate neighbors, and as an HBCU, Hampton University has a rich history of producing high-achieving diverse professionals,” said Shon Muldrow, Liberty’s Executive Vice President of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity. “Dr. Harvey’s successful 44-year effort to set up new academic programs, establish institutional security through building endowment, and forward-thinking investment into new facilities will benefit students for generations to come. His dedication to advancing higher education is admirable, and we are happy to celebrate his legacy.”

Dr. Harvey addressed Liberty’s student body at Convocation in 2019. (Photo by Luke Bobbey)

Hampton grew exponentially during Harvey’s tenure, both financially and academically. Under his leadership, the university’s endowment grew from $29 million to over $400 million. Annual enrollment also spiked from 2,700 to more than 6,000 over the four decades. Dr. Harvey was responsible for adding 92 new academic programs.

Dr. Harvey’s business acumen is one of many reasons for Hampton’s financial stability; in addition to being president, he also is the owner of the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company in Houghton, Mich.

In all of HU’s accomplishments, Harvey has always emphasized servant leadership as a propellant for success.

“Leading and serving others is a way of life for me,” Harvey told Liberty students at the 2019 Convocation. “I find great joy in knowing that my leadership and service have made a difference in others’ lives. If any of you really want to be a leader, if you really want to be great, if you really want to be a person of honor, then you must do as Jesus said: you must serve others.”

Members of Liberty’s leadership attended the gala, including (from left) Vice President of Spiritual Development Joshua Rutledge; Helms School of Government Dean Robert Hurt; Director of Strategic Projects and Alliances for the Office of Equity Walter Virgil; Executive Vice President of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Shon Muldrow; John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Dean Troy Temple; Provost and Chief Academic Officer Scott Hicks; and Director of Government Relations Kenny Craig.

The gala also helped raise funds for student scholarships at Hampton, specifically the new Harvey Legacy Endowed Scholarship and the Harvey Legacy Current-Use Scholarship. To honor Dr. Harvey’s investment in higher learning and in an effort to help bridge the gap to education, Liberty contributed $10,000.

Similarly, LU recently invested in local education through a $5,000 scholarship donation to the Alpha Action Education & Charitable Foundation. The scholarship supports African-American male high school seniors who live in the Lynchburg area and surrounding counties. One of these 2022 Scholarship recipients is Isaiah Idore, a graduate of Amherst County High School, who has selected to study biology at Liberty starting this fall.

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