Harrison Wilson Jr.

Harrison Benjamin Wilson Jr. (April 21, 1925 – July 28, 2019) was an American educator and college basketball coach who served as the second president of Norfolk State University from 1975 to 1997.^[1]

Early life[]

Wilson was born on April 21, 1925 in Amsterdam, New York, the son of Marguerite (Ayers) and Harrison Benjamin Wilson Sr.^[2] After serving in the United States Navy from 1945 to 1947, he enrolled at Kentucky State University and received his B.S. degree, was an honor student and became a star athlete in basketball, football, baseball, and track.^[3]

Career[]

Wilson was the head basketball coach at Jackson State University from 1951 to 1960. He was chairman of the Department of Health and Physical Education from 1960 to 1967. Harrison served as a college basketball coach for 16 years.^[4] His teams had an impressive record of 340 wins and 72 losses.^[3] Harrison B. Wilson's tenure as President of Norfolk State University, beginning in 1975, was one of tremendous growth, not only in student body and funding, but also in stature as a leading University in southeastern Virginia. Wilson once said, "We must continue to broaden our horizons in all we do at Norfolk State University. In academics as well as athletics, you need to raise the bar …set higher goals and work for excellence. The students, the University, and the community deserve nothing less than representing ourselves at the highest level of effort." In 1975-76 NSU offered 4 graduate programs in which 191 students were enrolled. In 1996-97, there were 14 master's programs and one doctoral program enrolling 1,110 students. The Division of Academic Affairs was composed of nine schools, 29 departments, offering 56 degree programs at the associate (2), baccalaureate (39), master's (14) and doctoral (1) levels. During Wilson's tenure, The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) produced the largest number of minority naval officers in the nation, second only to the U.S. Naval Academy; NSU graduated more African-American teachers than any other university in the nation. Degrees: Ph.D., Indiana University; M.A., Indiana University; B.S., Kentucky State University ^[1] He retired in 1997. The NSU administrative building was named in his honor.^[3]7 Dr. Wilson was honored by Old Dominion as one of their Strong Men and Women Excellence leadership series shortly after retiring from NSU in 1997.^[5]

Personal life[]

Wilson married first wife, Anna, who died in the late-1960s due to complications from surgery. Wilson later married Lucy Wilson, a former faculty member at Old Dominion University and a former Norfolk Public Schools Board member. He was the father of six children. His grandson Russell Wilson is the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.^[6]

Wilson was active in a number of boards and organizations. Wilson was initiated at the Alpha Upsilon chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity at Kentucky State University and was a member of the Alpha Kappa Mu honor society.

Wilson died on July 28, 2019.^[7]

Legacy[]

Norfolk State University's administrative building at the corner of Brambleton and Park Avenues in Downtown Norfolk was named in his honor.^[1]

References[]