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• September 2009, John Wilson, Jr., executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, speaks at HU’s convocation

• January 2010, HU’s band “The Force” marches in the Inaugural Parade

• February 2010, Obama names President William R. Harvey chair of the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

In other words, there is a bond between the two presidents. Perhaps not as newsy as October’s crowning of the first non-Black Miss Hampton University, but certainly more intriguing long-term. In a candid conversation about this school year, Harvey discussed HU’s accomplishments and his relationship with President Obama.

WL: This year has brought highs like President Obama’s commencement address, but also tragic lows, like the unrelated deaths of two students and a professor.  How does this year compare to others since you arrived in 1978?

WH: We’ve probably had 32 productive years and this is just another one. True, there have been a number of serious things that have happened. We’ve had some tragedies, but we’ve had those kinds of things before, unfortunately. We’ve also had a president of the United States speak before (George H.W. Bush in 1991). We think it’s tremendous and historic for President Obama, being the first African American president, picking Hampton as the first historically Black institution where he’ll give his address. We’re very excited about that.

WL: Clearly HU is on the President’s radar. You two have a personal bond, right?

WH: I think he and I have a special relationship. The president is a remarkable young man. He’s someone that I’ve certainly admired. He’s a great role model as a father and as a husband and as a President. I admire his intellect, his energy; I admire what he’s doing. Back when most African Americans were for Hilary Clinton, my wife and I held a fundraiser at our home for him. He was a big hit. I admire his message of hope and change.

WL: What was your impression when you first met Mr. Obama?

WH: I first met him in the spring of 2007, but my impression was formed before then. I saw his address to the Democratic Convention (2004 keynote). I had read a great deal about him. I read his books, which he wrote himself, without a ghostwriter. I admire people who can think for themselves. There is a lot of synergy between Hampton and the President. He was born in Hawaii, and our founder (Gen. Samuel Chapman Armstrong) was born in Hawaii. They graduated from the same high school. President Obama and I graduated from Harvard.

WL: If you were lecturing students on leadership, what would you tell them about President Obama?

WH: Anyone in a leadership position is going to be criticized either fairly or unfairly, but the higher up you go, the higher the wind blows. He leads; he doesn’t put his finger in the wind and see where the crowd is going.  He has a set of convictions. He believes that leadership is an important part of our daily lives. He understands that you can not please everybody; a true leader never does. You have to do what you truly believe is right all the time even when no one is watching.

WL: People have said that you’re a strong, but perhaps overbearing leader who ought to lighten up a bit?

WH: What do they want me to lighten up on? (Laughing)

WL: Well, when it comes to students and campus life.

WH: Most people are cowards.  They don’t say these things to me. When you say lighten up on students, well, Hampton has standards and values which do not allow doo rags, wife beater shirts, pants below your butt and drug use on campus. We don’t look at whether it’s conservative or liberal. These are standards. We don’t apologize for that at all. The kinds of things we believe in are honesty and integrity. If folks want us to lighten up on that, well, that’s just not going to happen.

I think that what we have done at my direction and leadership speaks for itself. It’s like when Gen. Armstrong came here to Virginia in 1868 to the heart of the Confederacy after the Civil War. Do you think that it was popular to educate Black students and Native Americans and women? Did that stop him? No. To come into a hostile environment like Virginia, and start an educational institution that took a lot of courage. When we came, we (HU) had almost closed our doors. Our facilities were being neglected. The grandson of the founder was calling for us to become a prep school. We had a $29 million endowment and now we have more than $250 million.

WL: When the Virginia Legislature initially cut $510,000 for the new Proton Therapy Center, you were quoted as saying they “just don’t get it.”

WH: Gov. McDonnell has recommended that be restored, but I still think that the General Assembly members don’t get it. Not only will we be bringing in cutting edge technology, but it will be a financial boost to Virginia. The center is bringing in jobs. We will treat between 1,500 and 2,000 patients or more a year. We’re going to have the patients as well as their visitors staying in hotels and eating in restaurants, going to the movies and shopping in malls. That’s a tremendous tax consequence. Hampton Roads leads the entire nation in prostate cancer deaths. The beam is configured to the exact dimension of the tumor, reducing chances of a surgeon nicking a nerve and the patient becoming impotent, developing incontinence, or dying. There are little to no side effects in most cases. The medical aspect is terrific in and of itself. Then, when you add the economic benefit, I do believe that these people who are charged with the wellbeing of their constituents just don’t get it.

WL: Is it because an HBCU is not considered to be the right school for such a program in Virginia?

WH: I don’t know what the reason is. I’ll leave that to others to speculate, but there is no justifiable answer. If it’s because Hampton is an HBCU, well, cancer isn’t. There are six proton therapy clinics in the country. In every other state the legislators have allocated at least $10 million. What does this mean that these other legislators are enlightened and those in Virginia are not? Until I see otherwise, it’s clear these good ole boys just don’t get it. I stand by that.

WL: During your time as chair of the Black College advisory board, what can people, who are concerned about the future of HBCUs, expect?

WH: Our mission is to advise President Obama on all matters pertaining to strengthening the educational capacity of our HBCUs. We must strengthen the capacity to provide the highest quality education and increase opportunities by getting support from the federal government. I am very much interested, along with John Wilson who is the executive director, to:

1. Systematically improve and increase the flow of dollars to our institutions.

2. Develop a vehicle to improve relationships with all federal agencies.

3. Advance President Obama’s interest in the federal government just seeing us.

4. Develop a scorecard to see how agencies are giving support.

President Obama has a strong and very sincere interest in making sure that his administration is interested in HBCUs. First Lady Michelle Obama will be doing the commencement address at Arkansas, Pine Bluff. Other administration officials will speak at HBCUs also.

WL: In other words keeping Black Colleges on the priority radar.

WH: You see, a lot of the things we do are underreported, but that’s not anything new either.

Wil LaVeist is an award-winning journalist and author of the award-winning book, “Fired Up.” Reach him at www.WILLAVEIST.com or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it