Chancellor’s Special Award

Resolution for Dr. Robert H. Harvey

WHEREAS, Dr. Robert H. Harvey is a native of Sumrall, Miss., a graduate of Knoxville College, and also holds the doctorate from Columbia University; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Harvey has devoted himself selflessly to Knoxville College, East Tennessee’s only historically black college, serving with distinction as department head, academic dean, and vice president, generously sharing his considerable intellectual gifts; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Harvey “retired” in 1988 but has continued to teach; and

WHEREAS, he has served Knoxville College four times as interim president, always focusing on fostering competence and spiritual values for students while also preserving their African-American heritage; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Harvey’s lifelong commitment to Knoxville College has enriched the institution, and his service has far exceeded the call of duty; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Harvey also has distinguished himself as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Education, the Louisiana State Department of Education, and the Texas Higher Education Commission; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Harvey has been active in the Knoxville community, serving on the board of the Knoxville Symphony and the Joy of Music School, and in Kiwanis, which he served as Kentucky/Tennessee lieutenant governor; and

WHEREAS, he has been extraordinarily active in his church, devoting five years’ service to the General Assembly Council for the Presbyterian Church, USA, and serving as an elder and a past moderator of the East Tennessee Presbytery; and

WHEREAS, numerous awards have been bestowed on Dr. Harvey in recognition of his accomplishments, including Distinguished Service Awards from the City of Knoxville and from Knoxville College, the Meritorious Service Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Science Foundation, and recognition by Kiwanis International as a Hixon Fellow; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Harvey and his wife, who is also a Knoxville College graduate, are the proud parents of a son and two daughters and have been blessed with grandchildren and great-grandchildren;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Chancellor Loren Crabtree and the faculty, staff, and students of the University of Tennessee commend Dr. Robert H. Harvey for his exemplary leadership, his fundamental humanity, and his commitment to Knoxville College and applaud the pivotal role he has played in the East Tennessee education community.