Virginia Tech History Resources: University-Wide Resources
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.
University Archives
The following resources are a wonderful starting point for searching the University Archives in Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA), which include organizational records and publications, newspapers and printed material about departments and people, and photographs of individuals and places on campus and in Blacksburg and the surrounding area.
- 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.
The records are divided into assigned Record Groups designated by the prefix, RG. For example, materials relating to the Board of Visitors are identified as RG 1/x, whereas the papers of the various presidents of the university are designated RG 2/x.
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.
- Historical Photograph CollectionThe photograph collection at Special Collections and University Archives consists primarily of historical photographs of Virginia Tech, dating back to the 1890s. The collection is also home to historic images of Blacksburg, Montgomery County, the New River Valley, and Southwest Virginia in general. A photograph collection of faculty and staff from the university is maintained separately.
- Virginia Tech and Local History Mounted Clippings, c. 1870s-c. 1960sIn general, mounted clippings at Special Collections and University Archives include newspaper clippings, photocopies, ephermera, unpublished and/or informal publications, and other papers relating to a specific subject area.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.
- Virginia Tech April 16th ArchiveThis website contains a comprehensive list of collections and historical documents regarding the tragic events of April 16, 2007, when 32 Hokies were sadly taken from us.
There is also a computer database on the 5th floor of Newman Library with official government documents that are not available online, and the Library of Virginia in Richmond maintains a copy of the database. - Virginia Tech Web Archive on Archive-It.orgThe Virginia Tech official web presence plus selected project web sites created and administered by Virginia Tech faculty, students, and staff. Includes archived versions of the university website from 2015-present, with different subdomains of vt.edu organized and identified for viewing.
- VT.edu Website Archive on the Wayback Machine of the Internet ArchiveThis includes archived versions of the university website from 1997-present. It is not as organized as the archived website on Archive-It.org. However, you can also search for specific vt.edu web addresses in the toolbar at the top of the page.
Publications about Virginia Tech
To learn an overview about the development of the university, consult the following publications.
- 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.) - Virginia Tech HistoryThe university's history website from University Relations.
- College and Departmental Histories at Virginia Tech (Archived)This exhibit contains links to videos and webpages about different departments' histories from the colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Enginnering, Liberal Arts & Human Sciences, Natural Resources and Environment, and Science. (Some links may be broken as this is archived on Archive-It.org and dates to 2011.)
- The first 100 years ; a history of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University byCall Number: LD5655.K5Publication Date: 1972Special Collections and University Archives holds several copies of this history about the university's first 100 years. Several other branches hold copies which can be checked out.
- The Bugle's Echo : a chronology of cadet life at the Military College at Blacksburg, Virginia, The Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and The Virginia Polytechnic Institute byCall Number: LD5655.T46 1996Six volume history of the university, with special attention to the Corps of Cadets, from 1872 thru 1934. Some originals related to the history are in Harry Temple's collection. Special Collections and University Archives and Newman Library have several copies.
- Virginia Tech, Land-Grant University, 1872–1997: History of a School, a State, a Nation (2021 edition, PDF version) by Peter WallensteinThe first edition of this book was published in 1997, at the time of Virginia Tech’s 125th anniversary. Wallenstein, a professor of history at Virginia Tech, situates the story of Virginia Tech firmly in the context of both American history and Virginia’s checkered history of higher education. One reviewer wrote that the book “may well be the most un-parochial history of a college or university that has ever been written.” The new edition features a lengthy new preface as well as other changes in text and images throughout. The book will interest historians, educators, students, and just about anyone who wants to know more about the history of higher education in America.
- Virginia Tech Land-Grant University 1872-1997: history of a school, a state, a nation byCall Number: LD5655 .W344 2021ISBN: 9781949373776Publication Date: 2021-10-15The first edition of this book was published in 1997, at the time of Virginia Tech’s 125th anniversary. Wallenstein, a professor of history at Virginia Tech, situates the story of Virginia Tech firmly in the context of both American history and Virginia’s checkered history of higher education. One reviewer wrote that the book “may well be the most un-parochial history of a college or university that has ever been written.” The new edition features a lengthy new preface as well as other changes in text and images throughout. The book will interest historians, educators, students, and just about anyone who wants to know more about the history of higher education in America.
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University historical data book byCall Number: LD5655.R69 1972Publication Date: [1972]Special Collections and University Archives holds several copies of the second edition of the Historical Data Book from 1972.
- VPI & SU Historical Data Book Centennial Edition (Archived)This website is a digital version of the Centennial (1972) edition of the Historical Data Book about Virginia Tech History. (Some links may be broken as this website is archived on Archive-It.org.)
- VPI historical data book byCall Number: LD5655 .R69 1964Publication Date: 1964Special Collections and University Archives holds the original edition of the Historical Data Book from 1964
- No Ordinary Moment: Virginia Tech, 150 Years in 150 Images (PDF version) by Aaron D. Purcell; LM Rozema; Anthony Wright de Hernandez; John M. JacksonVirginia Tech celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2022. What started as a fledgling school established in Southwest Virginia to promote agricultural, mechanical, and military education grew into a comprehensive research university with a global land-grant mission. As part of the celebrations, No Ordinary Moment tells the remarkable story of Virginia Tech through a selection of 150 illustrations, including numerous rare photographs and other unique images from the Special Collections and University Archives at Virginia Tech.
No Ordinary Moment by Call Number: LD5655 .A4 2022ISBN: 9781957213163Publication Date: 2022-09-02Virginia Tech celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2022. Established in Southwest Virginia to promote agricultural, mechanical, and military education, the fledgling school grew into a comprehensive research university with a global land-grant mission. No Ordinary Moment: Virginia Tech, 150 Years in 150 Images explores the history of the school, from its mid-nineteenth-century origins as Virginia Agricultural and Military College to present-day Virginia Tech. The book features approximately 150 illustrations, including rare photographs and unique items from the Special Collections and University Archives at Virginia Tech and other campus sources. Compiled and written by Virginia Tech archivists, No Ordinary Moment is organized around three principal themes--the land-grant mission, the evolving campus, and the long tradition of innovation--which, taken together, provide an overlapping view of Virginia Tech's past, present, and future. Along the way, the book highlights the many notable milestones in the university's history, including its founding as a land-grant college in 1872, the granting of university status in 1970, and the arrival of female students and students of color. Likewise, the book illuminates the long-standing curricular strengths of the university in engineering, agriculture, architecture, and the sciences, as well as the liberal arts, athletics program, and social traditions shared by students, alumni, and the community. Also covered are the establishment of the Virginia Cooperative Extension and colleges for medicine and veterinary medicine, and Virginia Tech's leading example in new technological fields and applied sciences, such as cybersecurity, transportation, autonomous vehicles, and bioinformatics. No Ordinary Moment is a book for anyone who wants to learn more about the history and culture of Virginia Tech--from alumni, faculty, and students to members of the Hokie nation wherever they might live.
University Publications
A number of publications by the university can provide information about the university's operations for your research.
- 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.)
- Annual Reports of the University / PresidentAnnual reports of the president and university from 1872 to the present
- University CatalogsSpecial Collections and University Archives has every issue of the catalog of the university from its founding in 1872. The catalog included information about the university and the administrators; the schools, colleges, and departments; degrees and courses offered; and sometimes information about students and degrees conferred. The catalog was initially published as part of the university bulletin, then published on its own, and finally split into separate undergraduate and graduate catalogs.
- 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).
Special Collections and University Archives has digitized most catalogs. Please contact us at specref@vt.edu for more information. - University BulletinsSpecial Collections and University Archives 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.
- Time Table of ClassesSpecial Collections and University Archives holds an incomplete range of issues of the university time tables from 1942 thru 2000.
- VTechWorks online databaseVTechWorks is the online database for scholarly work of university employees and students. Special Collections and University Archives has some items, including digital copies of the Bugle, the Tin Horn, VT News (press releases from University Relations), and more. Anyone from the university can upload their own work, including theses, dissertations, presentations, etc.
- University facts cards, 1997-2010 (incomplete)These brochures contain overall information about the university, including statistics.
University Newsletters and Magazines
- University Relations publicationsUniversity Relations (UR) is responsible for numerous publications, including Virginia Tech Magazine, the President's Annual Report, periodicals for several colleges and departments, and more. This UR webpage includes links to current and previous issues of numerous university publications from the UR.
- Virginia Tech MagazineSpecial Collections and University Archives 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 onlineOfficial website of the Virginia Tech Magazine with digital issues from 1990 to the present.
- TechgramTechgram was initially a very short publication of important university facts and news, and then became the university's monthly newspaper. It later became obsolete after the Virginia Tech Magazine was established. Special Collections and University Archives holds all issues of the Techgram from 1923 thru 1989, and Newman Library has most issues, available for checking out.
- Spectrum newsletterNewsletter for Virginia Tech faculty, staff, and graduate students, which includes supplements called The Conductor to discuss multicultural affairs and diversity and inclusion initiatives or topics.
- Spectrum newsletter onlineDigital copies of the Spectrum from 1994/1995 thru 2004/2005. Also includes the Conductor supplements.
- Diversity NewsSpecial Collections and University Archives hold most issues for the Diversity News, 1995-2002, about faculty, staff, students, alumni, groups, and initiatives related to diversity and inclusion. Previously, this periodical was published as the Minority Newsletter.
- Minority NewsletterSpecial Collections and University Archives hold most issues for the Minority Newsletter, 1981-1991, about faculty, staff, students, alumni, groups, and initiatives related to diversity and inclusion. Later, this periodical was published as the Diversity News.
- Minority Newsletter and Diversity News (pdfs online)Newsletter, 1981-2002, about faculty, staff, students, alumni, groups, and initiatives related to diversity and inclusion. Name changed from Minority Newsletter to Diversity News in the early 1990s. Special Collections and University Archives has an incomplete run, which are available online here.
- VT News onlineUniversity Relations publishes press releases online going back to 2003. VTechWorks database contains archived versions online from 2005. Special Collections and University Archives files print copies of VT News by subject in our vertical files.
Student Publications
Members of the student body have been publishing periodicals throughout the history of the university, both officially (such as the Bugle yearbook) and unofficially (such as the initial Tin Horn yearbooks).
- The Bugle yearbookSpecial Collections and University Archives 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 and University Archives on VTechWorks. - The Tin HornSpecial Collections and University Archives 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 and University Archives on VTechWorks. The Tin Horn was a yearbook published by women students in 1925, 1929, 1930, and 1931. - Gray JacketSpecial Collections and University Archives has most issues of the Gray Jacket from 1875 thru 1909. The Gray Jacket was the first student publication, produced by The Maury and Lee literary societies, the first student organizations at Virginia Tech.
- The Virginia Tech / Collegiate Times student newspaperSpecial Collections and University Archives holds issues of the student newspaper from 1903 thru the present. The newspaper began in 1903 as The Virginia Tech, became The Virginia Tech Collegiate Times in 1970, and finally changed its name to the Collegiate Times in 1973.
- Collegiate Times websiteOfficial website from VT's student newspaper, which includes searchable articles from recent years
- Collegiate Times on IssuuDigital editions of the Collegiate Times from recent years
- Theses and dissertations guideThis is a guide by the library about theses and dissertations. It includes a page on how to locate both electronic and print copies produced by Virginia Tech students and how to do global searches.
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Virginia Tech's Land Acknowledgement & Labor Recognition
Virginia Tech acknowledges that we live and work on the Tutelo / Monacan People’s homeland, and we recognize their continued relationships with their lands and waterways. We further acknowledge that the Morrill Land-Grant College Act (1862) enabled the commonwealth of Virginia to finance and found Virginia Tech through the forced removal of Native Nations from their lands in western territories. We understand that honoring Native Peoples without explicit material commitments falls short of our institutional responsibilities. Through sustained, transparent, and meaningful engagement with the Tutelo / Monacan Peoples, and other Native Nations, we commit to changing the trajectory of Virginia Tech's history by increasing Indigenous student, staff, and faculty recruitment and retention, diversifying course offerings, and meeting the growing needs of all Virginia tribes and supporting their sovereignty.
Virginia Tech acknowledges that its Blacksburg campus sits partly on land that was previously the site of the Smithfield and Solitude Plantations, owned by members of the Preston family. Between the 1770s and the 1860s, the Prestons and other local White families that owned parcels of what became Virginia Tech also owned hundreds of enslaved people. We acknowledge that enslaved Black people generated wealth that financed the predecessor institution to Virginia Tech, the Preston and Olin Institute, and they also worked on construction of its building. Not until 1953, however, was the first Black student permitted to enroll. Through InclusiveVT, the institutional and individual commitment to Ut Prosim (that I may serve) in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence, we commit to advancing a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.
Full and short version of the acknowledgement can be found on InclusiveVT's website.