Research Guides: Virginia Tech History Resources and University Archives: Individuals

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Researching Individuals at the University

Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) has multiple avenues to find information about people associated with the university.

Biographical Vertical Files
In general, vertical files at Special Collections include newspaper clippings, photocopies, ephemera, unpublished and/or informal publications, and other papers relating to a specific subject area. Files in this collection relate to individuals and families connected to the local area (Blacksburg, Montgomery County, and Southwest Virginia) and/or to Virginia Tech.

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Biographical Vertical Files are arranged alphabetically by individual's last name or by family name. Some individuals/families have a dedicated folder. Others may be found in the appropriate alphabetical folder (i.e. "Smyth" would be found in the "Smo-Smy" folder).
Record Group Vertical Files
Record Group Vertical Files contain printed material divided by university department and office. If you know the unit an individual worked or studied in, you could look at the record group for that department. Each college has a record group for individual faculty that has material on individuals.

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The Record Group Vertical Files contain newspaper clippings, pamphlets, brochures, posters, flyers, and more related to departments, schools, colleges, and administrative offices in the university, including press releases, courses, buildings, public events, and more.
Virginia Tech and Local History Mounted Clippings
Printed material in this collection are organized by subject, dated from the 1870s thru 1960s. There are sections on individuals, marriages, war service, and more. If you know the unit an individual worked or studied in, you could look thru that unit in case they are included.

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In general, mounted clippings at Special Collections include newspaper clippings, photocopies, ephemera, unpublished and/or informal publications, and other papers relating to a specific subject area. Files in this collection relate to Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, and the activities of members of the community or university. The mounted clippings were kept by the University Libraries thru the 1960s. The Record Group Vertical Files were begun around that time to specifically organize the materials related to the university.
RG 29, Alumni Association Records in the University Archives
Special Collections holds official records for the Alumni Association, which includes information of alumni, alumnae, and chapters. Additionally, Special Collections holds alumni cards for World War I and for students organized by class, major, and surname.

The Record Group list includes the major overview of the University Archives' Record Groups. This includes official records, newspaper clippings, and printed material.

The records are divided into assigned Record Groups designated by the prefix, RG. For example, materials relating to the Alumni Association are identified as RG 29/x.

There are two versions, a spreadsheet for sorting and filtering and a document that includes a page per RG number.
World War II Alumni Association Cards, RG 29d
Alumni cards for students who fought in WWII, including biographical information.
Virginia Tech Alumni Association Alumni Cards, RG 29e
Alumni cards kept by the Alumni Association for students of Virginia Tech, through about the 1980s. Cards are organized by class year, major, and surname, and may include both alums and students who did not graduate. Some cards also include biographical information, such as family members and military service.
Special Collections Biographical Cards
Special Collections has biographical cards for faculty, mostly associated with the university thru the 1960s, and for former students, primarily attending thru the 1920s. These are arranged alphabetically, and some include references to other resources in Special Collections.

Directories

SCUA has directories listing students, staff, faculty, university officials, alumni, and departments from 1891 through the present, but lists of students, employees, and alumni can be found in the university catalogs starting in 1872.

Below are the catalog records for all the directories and registers that we have. Copies of most directories are kept in the Reading Room, and patrons can easily look through them as they need.

Alumni directories

All Black alumni of record (including deseased) by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Call Number: LD5655.A76832 V5742 1998
Publication Date: 1998

Employee and departmental directories

Employees and departments can also be found in the University Directories and University Catalog.

Departmental and staff directory, 1966/1967
Staff include faculty and administration
Directory of Virginia Tech faculty expertise, 1974
Faculty environmental register, 1981
Directory of new faculty, 1989
Temporary faculty/staff telephone directory, 1989

Student directories

Students can also be found in the University Directories and University Catalogs.

University directories, 1926-present

University Directories, 1926/1927 - 1963
All directories include faculty, staff, and university officials, but only some include students. Newman Library contains copies that can be checked out.
University Directories, 1935 - 1965/1966
Includes students, staff, faculty, departments, and university officials
University directory, 1947/1948 - 1955/1956
These directories were published by Omicron Delta Kappa, so there is some information about ODK, its history, and its membership/leadership.
University directories, 1966/1967 - present
All directories include faculty, staff, university officials, departments, and buildings, but students are only included in 1982/1983 thru 2013/2014.
International directory, 1993
Virginia Tech's international directory for economic development : a listing of international students, faculty, and overseas alumni

Publications

University Catalogs
Special Collections has every issue of the catalog of the university from its founding in 1872. In addition to information about the university and courses, some catalogs include information about administrators, registered students, and degrees conferred.
University Catalog PDFs (Archived)
Digitized copies of the university catalog from 1872 thru 1877, undergraduate catalog from 2004-2005 thru 2010-2011, and graduate catalog from 2001-2003 and 2005 (on Archive-It.org).
University Bulletins
Special Collections holds issues of the university bulletin from its first issue in 1908 thru 1988. The bulletin includes catalogs for the university, information about degrees conferred, information for transfer students, alumni information, presidential reports, and more. Early issues also included bulletins about research in engineering, agriculture, Extension, and other areas.
Virginia Tech Magazine
Special Collections holds most issues of Virginia Tech Magazine from its first issue in 1978 thru the present. The magazine was known as The Virginia Tech from 1987 thru 1996. Includes articles and photographs about the university as well as brief announcements regarding births, marriages, births, adoptions, and deaths of alumni, students, and employees.
Virginia Tech Magazine online
Official website of the Virginia Tech Magazine with digital issues from 1990 to the present.
The Bugle yearbook
Special Collections has every Bugle yearbook from 1895 (the first year published) in our collections.
The Bugle PDFs
Digitized copies of the university's yearbook, The Bugle, starting in 1895 in PDF format from Special Collections on VTechWorks.

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Physical copies are available in the Special Collections' Rare Books Collection and Newman Library under the call number LD5655.V8 B8.
The Tin Horn
Special Collections has every edition of the Tin Horn, dated 1925, 1929, 1930, and 1931. Female students began attending the university full-time in 1920, but they were not included in the Bugle yearbook regularly until 1940. Because they were not included, the female students published their own yearbook, the Tin Horn, in 1925, 1929, 1930, and 1931.
The Tin Horn PDFs
Digitized copies of the Tin Horn in PDF format from Special Collections on VTechWorks. The Tin Horn was a yearbook published by women students in 1925, 1929, 1930, and 1931.
50th Reunion Bugles, also called Bugle Updates
The Reunion Bugles or Bugle Updates are published by the VT Alumni Association for the 50th anniversary of each class. Special Collections and Newman Library have copies for the 50th Reunion of Classes 1934 thru 1948.

Degrees conferred

Some issues of the University Catalogs and University Bulletins also list degrees conferred.

Degrees conferred and enrollment data, 1965/1966 - 1988/1989
Special Collections has many years of these reports, and Newman Library has several years available to check out.
Annual commencement programs, 1924-present
These programs list lists of degree recipients at commencement ceremonies, but are tentative and may not include all graduates.