Dreaming No Small Dreams

Earn your doctorate from the world-renowned Harvard University. Check. Get appointed to national boards by six different presidents. Check.
Have someone write a book about your visionary leadership. Check.
The only thing that remains for William R. Harvey to attain the status of “Ultimate Human Being” is to own a boat. Oh wait, he has that too.

By Kai Beasley

Harvey, an Alabama native, describes his first experiences on the water in the 11.4 square-mile city of Brewton in a manner reminiscent of the Andy Griffith Show, the black version.
“I didn’t own my first boat until after I came to Hampton,” Harvey Said. “But in my home town in Alabama, we had much smaller boats. They were truly small boats where some of us would go out fishing in the creeks around there.”
Harvey has since graduated from the small boats on the creeks of Brewton to something a little roomier. Like say, a 56-foot Sea Ray Sedan Bridge. The spec sheet on this boat simply reads “Wooooo Doggy!” But for those who aren’t familiar with boat terminology, this one comes equipped with dual Caterpillar engines that put out 776 horse power, and produce a maximum speed of 30 knots on the water (27 knots cruising speed). 
Take notes. Achieving William Harvey status doesn’t come easy. It takes a lot of work, a lot of business savvy, and a lot of determination. So listen up! Because when William Harvey says something, his soft, low voice speaks in a manner that seems to say, “I’m only saying this once.”
It’s pure, unadulterated, straight talk. So who is William R. Harvey?
“Well I’m known pretty much throughout the country as a businessman and an educator,” says the 67 year-old.
He earned his doctorate in college administration from Harvard University and became President of Hampton University (formerly Hampton Institute), in 1978. Back then the school wasn’t experiencing the best of times. Some even recommended that the institute abandon its program of higher education and reconstitute itself as a preparatory school.
But Harvey had other ideas. His innovative leadership has vastly improved the university’s status, increasing enrollment from 2,700 to over 6,300. SAT scores have risen a full 300 points and the school has expanded its curricula to include 77 new academic programs, including undergraduate programs in computer science, marine science, and entrepreneurship.
Although boating classes aren’t in the plans for future expansion of undergraduate programs, Hampton University is the only historically black college or university to compete in NCAA sailing.
Any Virginia resident will tell you that when it comes to boating, Hampton, Virginia is not a bad place to be. But perhaps the most famous Hampton University graduate put it best. “You know, Booker T. Washington used to tell blacks that we needed to cast our buckets down where we were,” Harvey says. “And with water on three sides, with the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, there are a lot of opportunities to get involved in water activities.”
Not a bad place to set down your bucket, Hampton has a newly renovated downtown waterfront, complete with quaint shops, restaurants, pubs, and galleries galore, that line colonial cobblestone streets and brick sidewalks. There is also a beautiful waterfront park that provides regular live entertainment.
If you don’t have a boat but still want to fish, the city offers several day and night fishing charters. If you do have a boat, then you can tie up at any one of the Hampton area’s many marinas and top notch resorts.
While fishing, cruising, and maybe tying up at a waterside restaurant with the wife, children, and grandchildren are at the top of the list for catching much needed rest and relaxation, the Hampton president also uses the luxurious vessel for business. And he has definitely experienced a lion’s share of success in that arena.
Harvey is currently the only African American in the U.S. to own a Pepsi Cola bottling company. How did he do it? Surely the answer would leave most people in awe of the complexities and the struggles that must be intrinsic to achieving such a feat, but Harvey makes it sound easy.
“I had my accountants and my lawyers look it over and they thought it was a viable investment. So 25 years ago, I bought it,” Harvey says.
His business dealings don’t stop there. He serves on the boards of the First Union National Bank (Mid-Atlantic Division), Newport News Shipbuilding, Inc., and Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield of Virginia. He has also served on the boards of Fannie Mae, Signet Bank, Wachovia Bank, and the Newport News Savings Bank. He knows business, and Harvey believes it’s a lot easier to get things done while negotiating on a relaxing fishing trip.
“I bring people down from places like New York and Chicago and we talk business,” he says. “It’s just like on the golf course or the tennis courts. It’s better than just sitting in front of a desk and asking somebody for money. The subject of your fundraising request is more at ease.”
The boat’s large size doesn’t hurt either. Harvey says that since it can hold more people, it allows everyone to engage in and enjoy conversations, and the space is especially important on trips to places like Miami.
Harvey cruises to North Carolina too, and the only way to get there fast is a little route called the Atlantic Ocean. At a nice leisurely pace, they can be at Hilton Head in about 22 hours, maybe 23 with a nap. And Harvey admits that the Hilton Head area is one of his favorite vacation spots.
But in the end, it’s all about family. As many of us already know, the water can bring families together like nothing else.“Boating offers opportunities for me to be able to provide new experiences for my wife, for my children, and my grandchildren,” Harvey says. “I think that’s really important.”