“Lincoln Loved Me First”: How Alumnus Hardy K. Dorsey Sr. Is Inspiring a New Wave of Giving

Lincoln alumnus Hardy K. Dorsey Sr. ’69 pledges $20,000 to The Blue Tiger Challenge, inspiring fellow Blue Tigers to give back to the university that helped shape his life.

For Hardy K. Dorsey Sr. ’69, giving back to Lincoln University is deeply personal. 

“I love Lincoln University because Lincoln loved me first,” Dorsey said. 

When Dorsey arrived at Lincoln in 1966 from his hometown of St. Louis, he was 20 years old and unsure of where his life was headed. Two years out of high school, he had spent time at community college without finding a clear direction. Then he learned that Lincoln was registering students, borrowed his father’s car and drove to Jefferson City. 

What he found there changed his life. 

“Lincoln took me as an aimless 20-year-old, two years out of high school, and out of the streets of St. Louis, not knowing what to do with my life,” Dorsey said. “LU taught me how to study, take ownership of my responsibilities, set goals and how to work effectively with others. 

Dorsey made the most of the opportunity. He graduated with honors in three years, served as president of the student teacher organization and became vice president of the Eta Sigma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Lincoln also gave him friendships that would last a lifetime and introduced him to the woman who would become his wife. Hardy and Wanda Dorsey celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary this year. 

The confidence and sense of purpose Dorsey developed at Lincoln followed him into a career and a life centered on creating opportunities for others. 

After beginning his career as a teacher and school administrator, Dorsey became involved with INROADS, an organization created to identify talented young people from underrepresented communities and connect them with opportunities in corporate America. He helped establish INROADS in St. Louis and supported its expansion into additional cities before joining IBM. Years later, while at IBM, he helped build support for the same organization that had helped change the trajectory of his own career. 

Service remained a constant as Dorsey advanced professionally. In Atlanta, he became active with 100 Black Men of Atlanta, serving on its board and working alongside business and community leaders committed to education and opportunity. He also served on the board of the Urban League while living in Orlando and has held numerous civic and community leadership positions throughout his career. When he left IBM as a senior manager in 1993, he formed his own management consulting practice focused on leadership, developing high-performing organizations, and diversity.   

Eventually, that commitment to service brought him back to Lincoln. 

In 2002, Dorsey helped lead fundraising for a Lincoln alumni convention in Atlanta. The experience rekindled a connection that had been largely dormant for decades. When fellow alumni encouraged him to take on a greater leadership role, he answered the call, choosing to devote his experience in leadership, fundraising and community engagement to the University that had helped launch his career.

Dorsey went on to serve as national alumni president from 2003 to 2009 and later as president of the Lincoln University Foundation from 2016 to 2022. Today, he serves on the university’s Alumni Council. In 2014, his decades of service were recognized with his induction into the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame for community service. 

For Dorsey, those roles are connected by a philosophy he has carried throughout his life: opportunity creates a responsibility to help create opportunities for someone else. 

That philosophy also shapes the way he talks about Lincoln. Dorsey often returns to three principles: vision, courage and collaboration. 

One of the clearest examples came during his tenure as national alumni president, when Dorsey helped champion the Soldiers’ Memorial honoring members of the 62nd and 65th United States Colored Infantries, whose contributions led to Lincoln’s founding. More than 3,000 alumni and friends joined the effort to bring the memorial to fruition. Its success reflected a shared vision and commitment, with support from then-Lincoln University President David Henson, the LU Foundation and the Board of Curators. 

For Dorsey, that project proved what Lincoln alumni can accomplish when they participate together. 

Now, he is asking Blue Tigers to do it again. 

Dorsey has pledged $20,000 to inspire alumni participation in The Blue Tiger Challenge, launching during Homecoming, Sept. 20-26. The challenge carries a simple message: “Every Blue Tiger counts.” 

The amount represents a meaningful commitment for Dorsey, who quickly points out that his story is not one of generational wealth. His mother worked as an elevator operator, and his father drove bread and milk trucks. They worked hard to provide for their family, and Dorsey learned that opportunity should never be taken for granted. 

His gift reflects gratitude for the opportunity Lincoln gave him and his desire to help provide that opportunity for students today. 

“If we can motivate 3,000 folks to (support the Soldiers’ Memorial), I know we can motivate 3,000 folks to say, ‘You’re going to give back to Lincoln,’” Dorsey said. 

That is the heart of The Blue Tiger Challenge. It is not simply about the size of one alumnus’ contribution. It is about participation and the collective impact Lincolnites can make when each person chooses to be part of the University’s future. 

“As alumni, we have a responsibility to ensure that future generations have the same opportunities afforded us,” Dorsey said. “Alumni giving is not just lip service but giving of our time, talent and treasure to advance the mission of the University.” 

After more than five decades as a proud Lincolnite, Dorsey knows firsthand what that support can make possible. 

Lincoln invested in him. Now, he is investing in Lincoln and inviting his fellow Blue Tigers to join him. 

One alumnus. One challenge. One university. Every Blue Tiger counts.