Virginia Tech History Resources: Presidents
This guide details resources intended to help those doing research on the history of Virginia Tech, including the use of Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries, and related resources.
About the Presidents of Virginia Tech
The Office of the President was established in the founding year of the university, 1872, and is appointed by the Board of Visitors. Since its founding, the university has had 16 official presidents (as of 2020):
- Charles Landon Carter Minor, 1872-1879
- John Lee Buchanan, March 1-June 12, 1880, 1881-1882 (two terms officially counted as one)
- Thomas Nelson Conrad, 1882-1886
- Lunsford Lindsay Lomax, 1886-1891
- John McLaren McBryde, 1891-1907
- Paul Brandon Barringer, 1907-1913
- Joseph Dupuy Eggleston, 1913-1919
- Julian Ashby Burruss, 1919-1945
- John Redd Hutcheson, 1945-1947
- Walter Stephenson Newman, 1947-1962 (acting president, May-August 1947)
- Thomas Marshall Hahn, Jr., 1962-1974
- William Edward Lavery, 1975-1987
- James Douglas McComas, 1988-1994
- Paul Ernest Torgersen, 1994-2000 (interim president, 1987-1988)
- Charles William Steger, 2000-2014
- Timothy D. Sands, 2014-present
Other individuals have served temporarily as president and are not counted toward the official total:
- Scott Shipp, Aug. 12-25, 1880 (appointed president, but not counted due to shortness of term)
- John Hart, 1880-1881 (appointed acting president)
General Resources
Collections
The early records of the university were destroyed in a fire in 1905, so the University Archives has very few records related to the first presidents prior to John M. McBryde.
The records of the President are restricted for 30 years. Presidential records from James D. McComas onwards are held by Records Management, and permission to access the material must be obtained from the Office of the President.
Record groups may include posters, flyers, photos, organizational records, and more. Materials are divided into assigned Record Groups based on the organization or group and designated by the prefix, RG. For example, materials relating to the Presidents are identified as RG 2/x.
- Record Groups in the University ArchivesThis list includes the major overview of the University Archives' Record Groups. Record Groups are the official records of the university held by Special Collections and University Archives. This includes official records, newspaper clippings, and printed material. There are two versions, a spreadsheet for sorting and filtering and a document that includes a page per RG number.
- Record Group Vertical FilesThe 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.
- Biographical Vertical FilesIn general, vertical files at Special Collections and University Archives 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.
- Faculty/Staff Photograph CollectionThe Faculty/Staff Photograph Collection at Special Collections consists of the photographs, portrait reproductions, and negatives of Virginia Tech employees, including presidents, dating back to the 1890s.
Publications
- President's reportCall Number: LD5655.A2 P7Publication Date: 1895-presentIncomplete run of the annual/biennial report of the president of Virginia Tech, some of which include reports to the president from other administrators
- University financial reportsCall Number: LD5655.A2 T8Publication Date: 1935-presentIncomplete run of annual financial reports of Virginia Tech, including the treasurer's reports to the president
- Strategic plans from Virginia Tech and individual unitsAssorted strategic plans from the university, departments, colleges, etc., 1987-present
Online Resources and Exhibits
- Historical Digest by Clara B. Cox and Jenkins M. Robertson, on the VT History websiteThis history of the university is broken down chronologically by President's term, and gives a good overview of changes and accomplishments at the university during each tenure.
- University Administration and Governance on VTechWorksIncludes publications and other works from the university administration, such as the Board of Visitors, Presidents, Vice Presidents, Office for Inclusion and Diversity (OID), etc.
- Virginia Tech Governance Minutes Archives (Archived)This exhibit is a list of minutes of university administrative groups, some of which were digitized and maintained by Special Collections and University Archives and some were maintained by the group itself. (Some of the links may be broken as this is archived on Archive-It.org and dates to 2013.)
- 125th Anniversary of Virginia Tech (Archived)
This exhibit was created as part of the university's 125th anniversary in 1997. There are articles, a timeline, and photographs documenting the university's early history, students and alumni, administration, Corps of Cadets, and campus, including maps, buildings, and aerial views. SCUA is currently converting legacy exhibits like this to an updated exhibit. (Some links may be broken as this website is archived on Archive-It.org and primarily dates to 1997, but includes events thru 2014.) - ImageBaseImageBase is a database of photographs and other visual items digitized by SCUA. There are numerous images related to the history of Virginia Tech, including many photos of the presidents.
- VT Office of the President websiteOfficial website for the Office of the President, which includes press releases, videos, and items related to the current president's initiatives, as well as subpages related to the organizational unit and past presidents.
1st president, Charles Landon Carter Minor, 1872-1879
The early records of the university were destroyed in a fire in 1905, so the University Archives has very few records related to C. L. C. Minor or the other presidents prior to John M. McBryde.
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Charles L. C. Minor Cash Book and Edward P. Harmon Civil War Diary Collection, Ms2008-081Civil War-era cash book of Captain Charles L. C. Minor, Confederate Army ordnance officer and first president of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (1872-1879). Also contains diary entries of Union Army Private Edward P. Harmon, 5th Maine Infantry, for May-June 1864. Accompanied by research materials on the two soldiers (including maps, muster rolls, and pension notes) and a complete photocopy of the cash book/diary.
- Charles L. C. Minor Cash Book and Edward P. Harmon Civil War Diary Collection, Ms2008-081Digital copy of the cash book maintained by C.L.C. Minor and diary of Edward P. Harmon
- Charles L. C. Minor Annotated The Real Lincoln, Ms2013-057The collection contains a first edition copy of The Real Lincoln belonging to, extensively annotated, and edited by author Charles L. C. Minor.
- Photograph of Charles Minor in ImageBaseOriginal in Faculty/Staff Photograph Collection, Photographs-003.
- The real Lincoln : from the testimony of his contemporaries byCall Number: E457 .M66 1904 & E457 .M66 1928Publication Date: 1904, 1928
- Minor RevisionsBlog post by Aaron Purcell, director of SCUA, about the creation and editing of Minor's book The Real Lincoln.
2nd president, John Lee Buchanan, March 1-June 12, 1880, 1881-1882
The early records of the university were destroyed in a fire in 1905, so the University Archives has very few records related to John L. Buchanan or the other presidents prior to John M. McBryde.
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Papers of John Lee Buchanan, Accession #112, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia LibraryHeld by the University of Virginia, this collection, 1854-1936, contains printed and handwritten materials and photographs pertaining to the life of John Lee Buchanan (1831-1922).
- The Educational Journal of Virginia / organ of the Educational Association.Call Number: L11 .E216Publication Date: 1870-1885This journal includes contributions from John Lee Buchanan. SCUA has an incomplete run.
- The life of John Lee Buchanan byCall Number: LD5655 .M32Publication Date: 1937Dissertation by John B. May about John Lee Buchanan and from University of Virginia. Held by SCUA.
3rd president, Thomas Nelson Conrad, 1882-1886
The early records of the university were destroyed in a fire in 1905, so the University Archives has very few records related to Thomas N. Conrad or the other presidents prior to John M. McBryde.
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Thomas Nelson Conrad Book Manuscript, Ms1989-095Born in Fairfax Court House, Virginia; graduated from Dickinson College in 1857. During the Civil War he served as a captain in the Third Virginia Cavalry of the Confederate army. President of the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (later Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) from 1882 to 1886. Papers consist of the original manuscript of The Rebel Scout: A Thrilling History of Scouting Life in the Southern Army, written by Conrad from 1891 to 1893, and published in 1904.
- "Thomas Nelson Conrad: Educator, Editor, Preacher, Spy" by Clara B. Cox, Smithfield ReviewA brief biographical sketch of the man who served as president of both Preston and Olin Institute and Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College.
- "The Confederate President" by Matt JonesFive-part series about Thomas Nelson Conrad from the Collegiate Times
- A Confederate spy : a story of the civil war byCall Number: E608 .C75 1961Publication Date: 1892 (1961 facsimile)
- The rebel scout ; a thrilling history of scouting life in the southern army byCall Number: E608 .C76 1904Publication Date: 1904
4th president, Lunsford Lindsay Lomax, 1886-1891
The early records of the university were destroyed in a fire in 1905, so the University Archives has very few records related to L. L. Lomax or the other presidents prior to John M. McBryde.
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Jubal A. Early Letter, Ms1955-005The collection consists of a letter written by Early to General Ran William H. Payne of Warrenton, Virginia, about the appointment of General Lunsford Lindsay Lomax to the Presidency of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg.
- Announcement byCall Number: LD5655 .A5232 1889Publication Date: [1889]Microfiche copy in the University Libraries of announcement related to the Agricultural Experiment Station of the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College
5th president, John McLaren McBryde, 1891-1907
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Records of the Office of the President, John McLaren McBryde, RG 2/5John McClaren McBryde served as the fifth president of Virginia Tech (1891-1907). This collection documents his tenure as president, including correspondence, letter books, reports, bids and contracts, and other records.
- McBryde House Specification Records, Ms1999-010Specification No. 1755 of the labor and materials required in the erection and completion of a two-story, brick dwelling house to be erected for Dr. J. M. McBryde in Blacksburg Virginia. 20 leaves.
- Larry McBryde Collection on the John McLaren McBryde Family, Ms2013-024The Larry McBryde Collection on the John McLaren McBryde Family, 1859-2013, contains materials concerning John McLaren McBryde, Sr., his brother Robert James McBryde, and their descendants. Primarily, the collection contains photographs, letters, family histories, and biographies about McBryde, Sr., who was president of Virginia Tech from 1891 thru 1907.
- Janet Barnhill Collection on Cora Bolton McBryde, Ms2016-019This collection consists of a handwritten recipe book belonging to Cora Bolton McBryde, as well as three peraonal artifacts: an anniversary plate, a Tiffany & Co. silver spoon, and a metal mold. Most of the materials are undated, other than the plate (1913), but they likely date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Cora Bolton McBryde was the wife of John McLaren McBryde, president of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College before and during the transition to Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (shortened to Virginia Polytechnic Institute). The pitcher and cup were added in 2018.
- Polly Ashelman Collection on the John McLaren McBryde Family, Ms 2019-017The Polly Ashelman Collection on the John McLaren McBryde Family, Ms 2019-017, contains items from former VPI President McBryde. Before becoming the fifth president of the university, McBryde attended South Carolina College, the University of Virginia, and served in the confederate army. McBryde recieved medals from South Carolina College and UVA as well as gifts during his presidency which are included in this collection.
6th president, Paul Brandon Barringer, 1907-1913
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Records of the Office of the President, Paul B. Barringer, RG 2/6Paul B. Barringer served as the sixth president of Virginia Tech from 1907 through 1913. This collection contains mainly his incoming and outgoing correspondence (1907-13) concerning college activities and issues of Barringer's administration including investigations; academic standards; hazing; Hog Cholera outbreak (1908); fires; prohibition; water/sewage system; refrigeration plant; advantages and dangers of football. A few letters from Barringer are to United States presidents: Theodore Roosevelt; William Howard Taft; Woodrow Wilson.
- Paul B. Barringer Papers, MS-34, Historical Collections, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.Held by the University of Virginia, this collection includes letters written to his parents in 1881 and 1882 while Dr. Barringer was traveling in Europe; a paper he wrote on death; a chapter in German from his memoir, "The Natural Bent;" other biographical material; and newspaper clippings regarding a proposed demolition of his home in 1983.
- Barringer Family Papers, Accession #2588, -a, -b, -c, -d, -e, -g, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.Held by the University of Virginia, the Barringer Family Papers consists of correspondence, legal and financial documents, literary manuscripts, genealogical material, newsclippings, photographs and keepsake items, certificates and commissions, printed articles and pamphlets, monographs and broadsides. These papers pertain chiefly to Paul Brandon Barringer (1857-1941) and other members of his family, most notably General Rufus Barringer (1821-1895) and Victor C. Barringer (1828-1896). A few of these papers also pertain to T. J. "Stonewall" Jackson and his wife, Anna Morrison Jackson who were related to the Barringer family by marriage. Additional genealogical data exist for the following families: Brandon, Graham, Hannah, Massey, Morrison, Spragins, Washington, and Woodson.
- "Our New President" By Professor R. H. HudnallIntroduction to Paul Barringer by Richard Hudnall, professor of English, which was initially published in the Bulletin of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (State Agricultural and Mechanical College), January 1908, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 3-8.
- The American Negro, his past and future by P. B. Barringer, 1900Available from HathiTrust.org. Please be warned that this tract by Barringer argues in favor of racial eugenics and the inferiority of Black people. The sentiments expressed will be upsetting to many readers.
- The natural bent ; the memoirs of Dr. Paul B. Barringer byCall Number: R154.B27 A3Publication Date: [1949]
- University of Virginia ; its history, influence, equipment and characteristics, with biographical sketches and portraits of founders, benefactors, officers and alumni byCall Number: LD5678 .B2Publication Date: 1904
7th president, Joseph Dupuy Eggleston, 1913-1919
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Records of the Office of the President, Joseph Dupuy Eggleston, RG 2/7The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence (1913-1919) including letters to and from state and national political figures; correspondence signed by Eggleston as Acting Director of the Extension Division (1913-1916); correspondence between Eggleston and principals, board members and others of various agricultural high schools relating to financial requests, personnel, etc. (1916-1919); correspondence with county agents and state and national personnel connected with agricultural programs; correspondence with Carneal and Johnston, architects, concerning construction of Shop building, Gymnasium, Professor Vawter's residence, VPI Chapel, McBryde building, Athletic building, and Field House. Other material in the collection includes: Sophomore Court matters (1913-1914); reports of annual meetings of agents (1913-1916); Agricultural Experiment Station reports (1914); U.S.D.A. Weekly Demonstration Work Reports (1914); financial forecasts (1914-1915); annual reports (1915); Smith-Lever salary vouchers, 1915; reports of demonstration agents (1916); departmental needs (1917); telegrams (1917-1919); resolution creating Athletic Director position (1918); Houston property deeds and contracts; speeches and articles. Education for women and African American extension and Y. M. C. A. work are among the issues addressed in the correspondence.
- Joseph D. Eggleston Collection, Ms2009-128The collection contains publications and pamphlets authored by or including articles authored by and about Joseph D. Eggleston. Materials relate Eggleston's tenure with VPI and Hampden-Sydney College, as well as local religious and social causes. Several of the articles contain Eggleston's marginalia.
8th president, Julian Ashby Burruss, 1919-1945
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Records of the Office of the President, Julian A. Burruss, RG 2/8The bulk of the collection contains correspondence concerning Julian Ashby Burruss' tenure as president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, as well as lecture notes, reports to the Board of Trustees of the State Normal School, and Experiment Station reports.
- Julian Ashby Burruss Papers, 1904-2005, UA 0023, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison UniversityHeld by James Madison University, the collection contains papers and correspondences, reports and speeches by President Julian Ashby Burruss, first president of the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, and documents related to the founding of the school.
- "Our New President" By Dean H. L. PriceIntroduction to Julian Burruss by Harvey Price of the College of Agriculture. This piece was initially published in the Bulletin of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute -- The State Agricultural and Mechanical College, Vol. 13, No. 1, November 1919, pp. 10-13.
9th president, John Redd Hutcheson, 1945-1947
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Records of the Office of the President, John Redd Hutcheson, RG 2/9The Records of the Office of the President, John Redd Hutcheson consist of correspondence and records, from 1917 to 1962. This collection contains official records from Hutcheson's tenure as president of VPI as well as his personal papers. John R. Hutcheson graduated from Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (VPI) with a B.S. in Agriculture in 1907 and a M.S. in 1909. He later received a PhD from Clemson College in 1937. Hutcheson was employed as Director of Extension Service (1919-44). He served as the ninth president of VPI from 1945 to 1947 before becoming chancellor of VPI (1947-56). Hutcheson also served as president of the VPI Education Foundation from 1948 until his death in 1962.
- John R. Hutcheson Family Collection, Ms2015-001Correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, and other items document the career and family of John R. Hutcheson. After earning his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI), John Redd Hutcheson (1886-1962) began working at the Virginia Agricultural Extension Service in 1914, becoming its director in 1919. Hutcheson was elected as president of VPI in 1945, serving until his nomination as VPI's first chancellor in 1947. The next year he became the first president of the VPI Educational Foundation, Inc. Hutcheson married Eleanor Parrott, with whom he had three children: Eleanor Catlett, John Hutcheson, Jr., and Robert Hutcheson.
- Edgemont Farm Papers, Ms2003-022Edgemont Farm record books, papers, and correspondence relating to the history, operations, and sale of Edgemont Farm in Halifax County, Virginia, and to the Barksdale and Hutcheson families, former owners of the farm. The collection includes correspondence between John R. Hutcheson and T. B. Hutcheson, Jr., as well as other correspondence of Thomas B. Hutcheson, Jr.; maps, correspondence, and Deed of Trust with David Barksdale regarding the sale of the farm.
10th president, Walter Stephenson Newman, 1947-1962 (acting president, May-August 1947)
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Records of the Office of the President, Walter S. Newman, RG 2/10The Records of the Office of the President, Walter S. Newman consists of correspondence, financial documents, enrollment statistics, architects' contracts, audits, commencement and inaugural ephemera, statements to the Federal Power Commission, photographs, and reports on Virginia's public school system submitted to the Moses Commission.
- Records of the Office of the Vice-President, Walter S. Newman, RG 3/1Walter Stephenson Newman (1895-1978) was the first individual to hold the office of Vice-President at Virginia Tech. His tenure began 15 May 1946 but only lasted until 1 September 1947, when he became the tenth president of Virginia Tech, serving from 1947 to 1962. This small collection consists of correspondence concerning curriculum revisions, letters from and replies to other colleges on various matters, and copies of memoranda to faculty and department heads.
- Walter S. Newman Collection, Ms2015-006This collection consists of an undated photograph album, program from his Inauguration as President of Virginia Tech, The Techgram, May 1, 1949 and an official photogram taken by The Foster Studio in Richmond, Virginia. There are several postcards and letters sent to Ella Boyer, possibly a housekeeper in the Newman family.
- Inauguration of Walter Stephenson Newman as president of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute : Monday, April the eighteenth, nineteen hundred and forty-nine, BlacksburgCall Number: LD5655 .A4 1949Publication Date: 1949Program for Newman's inauguration in 1949
11th president, T. Marshall Hahn, Jr., 1962-1974
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Records of the Office of the President, T. Marshall Hahn, Jr., RG 2/11T. Marshall Hahn, Jr. (1926-2016) served as the 11th president of Virginia Tech for 1962 to 1974, head of the Department of Physics from 1954 to 1962, and CEO of the Georgia Pacific Corporation. This collection contains primarily correspondence concerning University matters, including letters to and from alumni, faculty, parents, and students. Correspondence with the Board of Visitors and government officials is also included in the collection. There is material concerning the Alumni Association, budget information, Higher Education Study Commission (1965), University Council, National and Southern Associations of State Universities and Land-grant Colleges, State Council of Higher Education in Virginia, Task Force for Innovative Approaches to Instruction (1973), Consortium for Continuing Higher Education in Northern Virginia (1973), civil rights, proposal for College of Veterinary Medicine (1974, Box 95, folders 3211-3215), and various University committees and commissions. There is a large amount of material dealing with student protests (1970-1971, see Boxes 45-47), including correspondence to and from parents, students, and the general public. The collection also includes copies of many of Hahn's speeches (1961-1973), such as "Statement on Need of a College of Veterinary Medicine in Virginia" and "Virginia in the Jet Age."
- T. Marshall Hahn, Jr., Papers, Ms2019-041The T. Marshall Hahn, Jr., Papers, Ms2019-041, document the business career of Hahn (physics department head and university president) after leaving Virginia Tech. Items include a 1994 invirtation and guestbook for his retirement dinner as CEO of George Pacific Corporation (GP), and an undated watercolor portrait of Hahn, several other people, and the activities of GP. There is a 1997 resolution of appreciation for Hahn from Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc., for which he was a board member. The collection also contains a program for his memorial service in 2016 and the remarks made at the service by Timothy Sands, president of Virginia Tech at the time.
- Warren Strother Collection, Ms2004-005Collection contains official correspondence between Dr. T. Marshall Hahn and various Virginia Polytechnic Institute departments, 319 oral history interviews on cassette tapes, and 48 transcribed interviews. These materials focus on Dr. Hahn’s administration of VPI and were used to create a book entitled From VPI to State University: President T. Marshall Hahn, Jr. and the Transformation of Virginia Tech, 1962-1974 written by Warren Strother and Peter Wallenstein. Interviewees include Virginia Tech faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and university supporters.
Online Resources and Exhibits
- Campus Unrest at Virginia Tech (Archived)
This exhibit is about campus protests in Spring 1970 during the Hahn administration. (Some links may be broken as this website is archived on Archive-It.org and dates to 1997.) - "The Role of the Academic Community in Campus Unrest" by T. Marshall Hahn (Archived)Speech from President T. Marshall Hahn from August 1971, which includes a transcription and digital copy of the first page of Hahn's speech. This is an archived version from the 1997 Special Collections website.
- "Statement on Need of a College of Veterinary Medicine in Virginia" by Dr. T. Marshall Hahn, Jr. (Archived)Transcription of statement from T. Marshall Hahn's presidential records (RG 2/11) on the need of a College of Veterinary Medicine, written October 15, 1973. This is from an archived version of the 1997 Special Collections website.
- "Virginia in the Jet Age" by T. Marshall Hahn (Archived)Transcript of a speech by T. Marshall Hahn to the Virginia Association of Realtors from October 17, 1968. This is an archived version of the 1997 Special Collections website.
12th president, William Edward Lavery, 1975-1987
SCUA also has policy memos from Lavery's presidency, which are unprocessed. Please contact SCUA for more information.
See the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Records of the Office of the President, William E. Lavery, RG 2/12William Edward Lavery (1930-2009) was president of Virginia Tech from 1975 to 1987. The collection contains mainly incoming and outgoing correspondence (1975-1987) concerning college activities and issues of Lavery's administration including admission and records; commencement exercises; inaugural activities; homecoming; the Alumni Association; faculty and student affairs; the College of Veterinary Medicine; speeches and speech material. The collection also contains correspondence from alumni expressing their perspectives on the negative publicity surrounding the Athletic Association and Virginia Tech Basketball.
- Records of the Office of the Executive Vice-President, William E. Lavery, RG 4/3,This collection contains correspondence and other official records of Lavery during his years as Executive Vice-President (1973-1974) and Vice President of Finance (1968-1973) before becoming President of the University. Collection includes materials concerning budget matters, Board of Visitors, Computing Center, Computer Science, Community Colleges, each of the Colleges, Building Committee, Institutional Research, Task Force for Innovative Approaches to Instruction, University Council and Commissions, V.P.I. Industry Center, and Virginia Public Telecommunications Council.
- Warren Strother Collection, Ms2004-005Collection contains official correspondence between Dr. T. Marshall Hahn and various Virginia Polytechnic Institute departments, 319 oral history interviews on cassette tapes, and 48 transcribed interviews. These materials focus on Dr. Hahn’s administration of VPI and were used to create a book entitled From VPI to State University: President T. Marshall Hahn, Jr. and the Transformation of Virginia Tech, 1962-1974 written by Warren Strother and Peter Wallenstein. Interviewees include Virginia Tech faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and university supporters, such as William Lavery.
- The relationship of selected organizational characteristics to the administrative style of state extension directors byCall Number: S544 .L385 1962aPublication Date: 1962Lavery's Ph.D. thesis from the University of Wisconsin
- The inauguration of William Edward Lavery as twelfth president of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University : inaugural proceedings, October 16, 1975Call Number: LD5655.A4 1975fPublication Date: 1975Program for the inauguration of Lavery in 1975
13th president, James Douglas McComas, 1988-1994
The records of the President are restricted for 30 years. Presidential records from James D. McComas are held by Records Management, and permission to access the material must be obtained from the Office of the President.
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Videos and publications by and about McComas in the University LibrariesIncludes video and program for the inauguration of McComas, other videos with or about McComas, publications by McComas, and programs for the James D. McComas Staff Leadership Seminars
- Directory of Administrators and New Faculty, Ms2005-004The collection was originally housed in and apparently used by the Office of the President, while James D. McComas was president of Virginia Tech from 1988-1993. Collection consists of one-page vitas and photographs of administrators and new faculty in 1988 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, representing the Pamplin College of Business, the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Architecture and Urban Studies, Arts and Sciences, Education, Engineering, and Human Resources. It also includes the Cooperative Extension and Continuing Education and numerous Vice President offices.
- James D. McComas Staff Leadership Seminars on VTechWorksSeminar series named after McComas and held annually to promote staff leadership development.
14th president, Paul Ernest Torgersen, 1994-2000 (interim president, 1987-1988)
The records of the President are restricted for 30 years. Presidential records from Paul Torgersen are held by Records Management, and permission to access the material must be obtained from the Office of the President.
SCUA has policy memos from Torgersen's interim presidency, which are unprocessed. Please contact SCUA for more information.
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Videos and publications related to Torgersen in the University LibrariesIncludes videos of Torgersen, including for his inauguration in 1994, and publications by him.
- College of Education Restructuring Records, Ms2006-020Publicly circulated e-mails, reports, and meeting handouts that served as major communications during the restructuring of Virginia Tech's College of Education. Also contains transcripts of speeches given by officials as well as some meetings, and field notes by Jan Nespor of meetings with the "task forces." Also contains materials relating to the immediate response to Virginia Tech President Paul Torgersen's decision and the early planning for the merger with the College of Human Resources. The records essentially stop after January 1996.
15th president, Charles William Steger, 2000-2014
The records of the President are restricted for 30 years. Presidential records from Charles Steger are held by Records Management, and permission to access the material must be obtained from the Office of the President.
Steger was president at the time of the April 16th shootings. For materials related to the tragedy, please see the We Remember : April 16th, 2007 page on this guide. SCUA also has a collection of emails with Steger related to April 16th, which are unprocessed. Please contact SCUA for more information.
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Publications related to Steger in the University LibrariesIncludes the program for Steger's inauguration and publications by him or with introductions by him.
- Publications related to Steger in VTechWorksIncludes official statements from Steger while president, news releases related to Steger and the Office of the President, and photographs related to April 16th Remembrance events
16th president, Timothy D. Sands, 2014-present
The records of the President are restricted for 30 years. Presidential records from Tim Sands, which are considered active, are held by Records Management, and permission to access the material must be obtained from the Office of the President.
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Installation ceremony of the 16th president, Timothy D. Sands : October 17, 2014, two o'clock, Burruss Hall auditoriumCall Number: LD5655 .A4 2014aPublication Date: 2014Program for the inauguration of Sands
- Publications by Sands in VTechWorksIncludes letters and speeches from his presidency as well as scientific publications related to his engineering research.
- Official Website about Sands on the VT President's websiteIncludes open letters and official statements, videos and transcripts of speeches and speaking engagements, and links to his biography and twitter account.
Scott Shipp, Aug. 12-25, 1880
Scott Shipp was appointed president in August 1880, but spent only 2 weeks in the position before resigning. The university does not count him in its official list of presidents due to the shortness of his term.
The early records of the university were destroyed in a fire in 1905, so the University Archives and University Libraries has very few records related to Shipp or the other presidents prior to John M. McBryde. However, Shipp spent most of his career at the Virginia Military institute (VMI), serving as its superintendent from 1890 to 1907, and resources from VMI related to Shipp are included below.
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- VMI Records of Superintendent Scott ShippHeld by Virginia Military Institute, the official records of the Scott Shipp administration include correspondence, annual reports, and related papers/records for the period 1890-1907.
- Commandant of Cadets Historical RecordsHeld by VMI, this collections contains bound and unbound historical records documenting the operation of the Commandant's office and of the Corps of Cadets. The earliest examples date from 1839, the first year of the Institute. Items include: guard records, morning reports, demerit books, inspection books, permit books, muster rolls, record of events, penalty tour and confinement records, Commandant orders and memoranda, World War I Training Camp (1917-1918), ordnance stores (1858, 1861), George C. Marshall signed amnesty document, Scott Shipp correspondence.
- Photograph of Scott Shipp, 1880, in ImageBaseOriginal photograph in the Harry Downing Temple Jr., Papers, Ms1988-039.
- Photograph of Scott Shipp, ca. 1890, in ImageBaseOriginal in Faculty/Staff Photograph Collection, Photographs-003.
John Hart, 1880-1881
John Hart was a professor at Virginia Tech. He was appointed acting president of the university from 1880-1881, but he did not want the position.
The early records of the university were destroyed in a fire in 1905, so the University Archives and University Libraries has very few records related to Hart or the other presidents prior to John M. McBryde.
See also the General Resources section at the top of this page.
- Photograph of Hart, 1880-1881, in ImageBaseOriginal photograph in the Harry Downing Temple Jr., Papers, Ms1988-039.
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