Harrison B. Wilson Jr.

Dr. Harrison B. Wilson Jr.

Dr. Harrison B. Wilson Jr. had an accomplished tenure as the 2nd president of Norfolk State College. During his 22-year tenure, the college's academic programs, graduation rates, and military recruitment efforts were at a national high, helping to create an enduring legacy for Norfolk State University. It was under Wilson that Norfolk State College became Norfolk State University in 1979. He was a tenacious advocate for the school, finding solutions to housing and other needed facilities challenges, as well as a challenge to the University’s existence.

When the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare suggested merging NSU with Old Dominion University, Wilson argued that Norfolk State be allowed to thrive by initiating new, high-demand programs. Likewise, when the University faced a housing shortage, stifling recruitment efforts, he marshalled support from alumni and went around opposing state officials to obtain a $3.5 million federal loan from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Additionally, he successfully secured funding for Joseph G. Echols Hall by arguing that the University had one of the largest ROTC programs in the state and that its cadets lacked adequate indoor facilities for drilling during inclement weather. Never one to squander an opportunity, while on a trade delegation trip to Africa in the 1990s, Wilson lobbied Virginia’s first African American governor to fund a performing arts center on campus. With the support of then-governor L. Douglas Wilder and legislative approval, the funds were approved, and the structure was named in Wilder’s honor.