Dr. Herman J. Felton, Jr.
Herman J. Felton, Jr., Ph.D., J.D., is the 17th President & CEO of Wiley University in 2018. Before his appointment at Wiley University, he served as Wilberforce University’s 21st president. His leadership experience has included chief operating officer, senior vice president, and vice president at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He is also a former director of development and lecturer in the Government, Law, and International Affairs Department at Murray State University in Kentucky.
President Felton began his service at Wiley University, signaling the Bold and Audacious Vision. Under his leadership, he has achieved several significant accomplishments, including spearheading a campaign with College alumni and supporters that has generated the renovation and modernization of every building on campus. He has successfully garnered support from various foundations and local businesses, such as the Marshall Economic Development Corporation who assisted with the renovation of KBWC 91.1, the University’s radio station.
His leadership has launched the Heman Sweatt Center for Social Good and Leadership, created a training space for physical education majors, and implemented the student health, counseling, and wellness unit, now staffed with full-time licensed practitioners.
The University has received over $20 million in grants and gifts, generating some of the largest gifts in the University’s history. In addition to his accomplishments on Wiley’s campus, President Felton has immersed himself in the fabric of the Marshall Community, where he is a member of the Marshall Rotary Club, the Marshall Chamber of Commerce, and the Citizens Advisory Council.
President Felton earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida. Also, he earned his Juris Doctorate from the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida and completed his graduate work at Jackson State University, where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration and Supervision.
He is co-founder of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation (H.E.L.F.), an organization ensuring that a pipeline of transformational, highly skilled, and principled leaders are identified and cultivated to meet the needs, challenges, and opportunities facing the Nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. President Felton served in the United States Marine Corps for eight years. He is married to the lovely Katherine Anne Felton and is the father of Jamal, Paige, and Herman, III (Trey).