Harry L. Williams

Harry L. Williams serves as president & CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community.

TMCF’s 47 member-schools are America’s publicly supported Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), educating nearly 300,000 students. Under his leadership as President & CEO, TMCF has created innovative partnerships, increased organizational stability, and advanced bipartisan HBCU support.

A strategic thinker and visionary, Dr. Williams concluded dedicated talent development partnerships with leading corporations such as The Boeing Company, Medtronic, Visa, Ally Financial, and Hennessy USA. He successfully reimagined long-term partnerships with companies such as Lowe’s, the NBA, and Wells Fargo, cementing TMCF has the premier source for major employers seeking top diverse talent for competitive internships and corporate careers.

Under Dr. Williams, TMCF has experienced tremendous growth, expanded its revenue three-fold, and doubled its corporate partnerships. His leadership has solidified TMCF as the premier representative of the HBCU community, a hub for insight into the Black College community and the families they serve, a convener of HBCU-based researchers, and as a key partner for diverse talent and inclusion strategies. Dr. Williams places a strong emphasis on creating bipartisan alliances.

TMCF has been at the forefront leading on every significant national legislative victory for HBCUs, earning respect and trust from elected and appointed leaders on both sides of the aisle in Congress and the White House. In 2019, TMCF’s first legislative priority, the FUTURE Act, became law after successfully forging a coalition and identifying resources. In 2020, TMCF successfully helped secure significant federal funding to help low-resourced HBCUs meet the financial challenges of COVID-19, and continue educating their students.

As a former HBCU president, Dr. Williams leveraged his relationships with other HBCU presidents to increase cooperation between TMCF member-schools, create a supportive network among HBCU leaders, providing a platform for sharing best practices, and acting together to ensure institutional sustainability for all HBCUs.

As President of Delaware State University, Dr. Williams enjoyed a successful eight-year tenure, increasing student enrollment and forging new public and private multimillion-dollar partnerships, grants, and investments into the campus. He has received many awards and accolades for his career in higher education, and previously held senior positions at the University of North Carolina General Administration, Appalachian State University, and North Carolina A&T State University.

Dr. Williams earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Appalachian State University, a Doctorate from East Tennessee State University, named President Emeritus of Delaware State University, and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Most importantly, he is a family man.

His wife is Dr. Robin S. Williams, and they are the proud parents of two grown sons, Austin and Gavin. Austin and his wife Reagan both graduated from Howard University. Gavin is also a Howard graduate and is now a first-year law student at Southern University Law Center. Dr. Williams also has a granddaughter, Porter Rae, who is the daughter of Austin and Reagan.