William Robert Harvey (born January 29, 1941,
Brewton, Alabama
Brewton is a city in and
the county seat of Escambia County, Alabama, Escambia County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 5,276. Brewton is located in south central Alabama, just north of ...
)
is an American educator, academic administrator, and businessman who served as president of
Hampton University
Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...
from 1978 to 2022. He is the longest serving president in the school's history. Harvey became the first African-American owner in the
soft drink
A soft drink (see ยง Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a su ...
bottling industry when he and his wife,
Norma Baker Harvey, purchased a
Pepsi-Cola
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
Bottling Company franchise together in 1986.
On December 15, 2020, He announced his plans to retire as President of Hampton University by June 2022. He officially retired on June 30, 2022, after serving nearly 44 consecutive years as president.
See also
*
Dr. William R. Harvey Museum of Art
References
1941 births
People from Brewton, Alabama
Living people
Hampton University faculty
Talladega College alumni
Virginia State University alumni
Harvard University faculty
American academic administrators
Presidents of Hampton University
Educators from Alabama
Academics from Alabama
21st-century African-American businesspeople
21st-century American businesspeople
Harvard University alumni
Harvard University administrators
20th-century African-American businesspeople
20th-century American businesspeople
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