Special Collections and University Archives: A Basic Introduction: G. Endowments

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Staff

Aaron Purcell, Director, Special Collections and University Archives
Kira Dietz, Assistant Director, Special Collections and University Archives [appointment calendar]
Ren Harman, Oral History Projects Archivist/Project Manager, VT Stories
John Jackson, Archives Assistant
Alan Munshower, Digital Collections Archivist
LM Rozema, Processing and Special Projects Archivist
Jade Snelling, Collections Archivist
Amelia Verkerk, University Archivist
Anthony Wright de Hernandez, Community Collections Archivist
Kat Zinn, Project Archivist

In addition to the generous efforts of our many donors, Special Collections and University Archives has a number of endowments to fund the acquisition of further materials for our collections. A brief description of each endowment and a link to materials in the catalog purchased with the endowment is provided below (records for processed manuscript collections will include a link to the detailed finding aid).

• Ann Hertzler Endowment for Children's Cookbook and Nutrition Literature

Dr. Ann Hertzler was a Professor of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech from 1980-2001. In 2006, she established the Ann Hertzler Endowment for Children's Cookbooks and Nutrition Literature Archives. Funds from this endowment are used to strengthen the existing culinary history materials in Special Collections and University Archives. Specifically, this fund supports the purchase of children's cookbooks and materials relating to the history of nutrition and nutrition education.

In addition the endowment, Dr. Hertzer donated many of her professional papers to Special Collections between 2001 and 2014. The majority of these papers have been processed and a finding aid for the Ann A. Hertzler Collection is available online.

• Civil War Materials Fund

The Civil War Materials Fund was established to support the acquisition and preservation of Civil War related manuscript collections in Virginia Tech Special Collections. To date, funds from this endowment have been used to acquire new collections of correspondence, personal papers, and a sketchbook relating to the service of various Civil War soldiers.

• Class of 1958 Fund

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute Class of 1958 established an endowment fund to support the acquisition and preservation of materials in Special Collections. This fund has been used to purchase publications and manuscripts relating to local, regional, and Appalachia history, the American Civil War, culinary history, architecture, and Virginia authors.

• Eleanore Pettersen Endowment for the Preservation of Women and Architectural History

In 2003, Virginia Tech received the papers and other architectural materials of Eleanore K. Pettersen, the first registered woman architect in New Jersey. The Eleanore K. Pettersen Collection is one of many architectural collections which form the International Archive of Women in Architecture at Special Collections. In conjunction with the donation, an endowment was established, the Eleanore Pettersen Endowment for the Preservation of Women and Architectural History. This endowment was used for the processing and continued maintenance of the Pettersen collection, as well as for the acquisition of new architectural publications and manuscripts. Other items purchased with the fund include architecture books by women authors, drawings by women designers, and publications profiling women architects.

In addition the endowment, Pettersen donated her professional papers to Special Collections in 2003. A finding aid for the Eleanore Pettersen Architectural Collection is available online.

• Elden E. "Josh" Billings Fund

The Elden E. "Josh" Billings Civil War Fund was established in 1996 for the continued acquisition of Civil War books, publications, and manuscripts to support Special Collections. Purchases with these funds include original diaries, correspondence, and ephemera, as well as books, speeches, and pamphlets on slavery, regimental histories/reunions, and southern states in the Civil War. All books and cataloged materials are located in Special Collections Civil War Rare Books unless otherwise noted in Addison.

In addition, Elden E. Billings donated over 4,000 volumes and an extensive collection of Civil War-related memorabilia, personal research, and manuscript items. A finding aid for the Elden E. Billings Collection is available online.

• George R. Wallace Foundation Endowment

Established at Virginia Tech in 1997, the George R. Wallace Foundation Endowment is used to purchase books, manuscript items and collections, and other Civil War-related materials for Special Collections. Since its creation, Special Collections and University Archives has acquired more than 200 books, pamphlets, speeches, military publications, diaries (published and manuscript), letters, regimental documents, ledgers, and electronic media through the help of the Wallace endowment. In addition to materials in the catalog, the George R. Wallace Foundation has also been used to purchase Civil War-era sheet music (located in the Sheet Music Collection, Ms2003-021), maps, and prints.

• Henry B. "Puss" Redd Endowment

In 1997, an endowment was created in honor of Henry B. "Puss" Redd. Redd, a 1919 graduate of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute, served as the executive secretary to the Alumni Association from 1926-1960. To date, funds from this endowment have been used to preserve and acquire new materials relating to the history of the university.

• Sigrid L. Rupp Endowment

In 1997, Sigrid L. Rupp’s architectural papers were donated to Virginia Tech Special Collections, followed by additional accruals in 2004 and 2006. The collection contains more than 50 years of Rupp’s personal and professional papers. In 2009, the Sigrid L. Rupp Endowment was established to support the continued maintenance and processing of architectural collections in the International Archive of Women in Architecture. To date, funds from this endowment have used to preserve existing materials and to acquire the paper of Elizabeth Nickels, a Richmond-based architect.

In addition the endowment, Rupp donated her personal and professional papers to Special Collections in 1997 with additions arriving in 2004 and 2006. A finding aid for the Sigrid L. Rupp Architectural Collection is available online.

• Suzanne Dignowity-Lignon Endowment

Established in 2011, the Suzanne Dignowity-Lignon Endowment was created to provide support for Virginia Tech Special Collections. To date, this fund has been used to acquire new materials for several subject areas in which Special Collections has a focus, especially culinary history, local literary history, and coal mining history. Materials include published cookbooks, correspondence, photograph albums, diaries, a handwritten farm ledger, and local literary journals.