Lieutenant General Darrell K. Williams, United States Army (Retired), is the 13th president of Hampton University and a 1983 graduate of Hampton Institute. A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, he brings nearly four decades of strategic leadership experience across military, academic, corporate, and government sectors.

As a student at Hampton, Williams served as senior class president and a three-year ROTC scholarship cadet, among other distinctions. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Commissioned into the U.S. Army in 1983 as a Distinguished Military Graduate, Williams went on to serve across the U.S., Europe, Pacific, and Middle East. His career includes deployments to Kosovo, Kuwait, and Iraq. In 2014–15, he led 22,000 personnel in the historic sustainment and drawdown of Afghanistan. He culminated his military career in 2020 as Director of the Defense Logistics Agency, where he oversaw a global workforce of 26,000 and managed $40 billion in annual logistical support to U.S. and allied forces worldwide.

Following his military service, Williams joined Leidos, a Fortune 250 company, serving in executive leadership roles supporting U.S. and U.K. defense logistics operations.

Since becoming Hampton University’s president in July 2022, Williams has focused on academic excellence, innovation, and enhancing the student experience. Under his leadership, the university achieved a 39% increase in freshman enrollment, a 96% first-year retention rate, and recognition as the 2023 Best Private College in Virginia by Coastal Virginia Magazine. He was named to Inside Business’s 2023 Power List of Top 60 Power Players in Hampton Roads.

Williams’ professional affiliations include service on the boards of the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV), Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC), Hampton Roads Alliance, and RVA757 Connects. He also serves on the Board of Visitors for Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and is a life member of both the Association of the U.S. Army and R.O.C.K.S., Incorporated.

His military decorations include the U.S. Defense Distinguished Service Medal, U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, and Bronze Star Medal. He is also a recipient of the 2018 Hampton University Distinguished Alumni Award and was named one of the Journal of Black Innovation’s “2020 Fifty Most Important African Americans in Technology.”

President Williams holds a B.A. in psychology from Hampton Institute, an M.S. in business administration from Penn State, an M.A. in military arts and science from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and an M.S. in national security strategy from the National War College.

He is married to Myra Richardson Williams, a career educator and 1983 Hampton graduate. They have two adult children.