Browse Items (12112 total)

Dr. Calvin D. Jamison grew up knowing he was going to attend college, the only question was where? He was born and raised in Martinsville, Virginia and upon visiting Virginia Tech, he ultimately decided to attend. A triple Hokie, Jamison received his…

John Owen was born in Lynchburg, VA to a military family. From his father's work, he moved to California, Greece, Alexandria, VA, and France during his childhood. Though upon retirement, his family settled back in Alexandria, VA where his interest in…

Portrait photograph of Robert E. Lee.

Frederick C. Boucher, better known as Rick, was born on August 1st, 1946 in Abingdon, Virginia.

Rick's long career in law and public service was heavily influenced by his upbringing and parents. His mother, Dorothy Buck Boucher, was a pioneer of…

Bertram Kinzey, Jr. arrived in Blacksburg as an architectural engineering student in 1940. While living in Richmond, Kinzey enrolled in the engineering extension program, which led him to Virginia Tech for his final two years of undergraduate. As a…

Theodore King, Jr. grew up on a farm in Lunenburg County, Virginia. While in high school, King was recruited by many colleges, including Virginia Tech. He was drawn to the school because of its appeal to common people, as he was a lower class African…

James "Bud" Robertson was born and raised in Danville, Virginia. There was a railroad close to his house, which led him to become interested in them (which he maintained throughout his entire life). The yardmaster understood his interest and offered…

James Boone, born July 25th, 1915 is among the earliest Virginia Polytechnic students to be interviewed for VT Stories. He grew up in Holland and Ivor, Virginia, and arrived in Blacksburg in 1933. While at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, he studied…

George Fox, born in Charleston, West Virginia, grew up in a Virginia Tech household. His father from Virginia Polytechnic Institute for industrial engineering in 1941 and claimed that their extended family has more than twenty graduates.…

Frank Nolen grew up in Macon County, North Carolina, raised with school in mind. In high school, he decided to attend North Carolina State College, but dropped out after encountering college chemistry. He transferred to Gaston Technical Institute, a…

Judy Swecker Slaughter was born into a Virginia Tech family as her father graduated class of 1935. Growing up in Woodstock, Virginia, she had decided to follow her father's footsteps and also attend. She arrived in 1966, studying psychology and…

Marguerite Laurette Harper Scott, also known as Chick, grew up in Norfolk, Virginia in a family of Virginia State graduates. Although she intended on doing the same, when Virginia Polytechnic recruiters visited her high school, her father decided it…

Jack Kise was born in New Haven, Connecticut and moved around several times before landing in Portsmouth, Virginia where he spent most of his school years. In high school, he took an interest in Virginia Tech as he had several friends attend and…

Craig Wood is a former CPA who grew up in Fries, Va., but moved away for college and a career. Upon retirement, he moved into his parents' former house with his wife. While growing up, he worked in the mill over the summer in the cloth and spinning…

In this final installment of an oral history series, Chris Kappas is joined by his wife, Maria Kappas, to talk about their life working in the restaurant industry and raising a family in Blacksburg.

In this interview, Maria recounts emigrating…

The fifth oral history interview in a series about the Greek community in Blacksburg, local history, and the restaurant industry with Chris Kappas.

In this interview, Kappas talks about establishing Souvlakis in the Blacksburg community as a…

The fourth oral history interview in a series with Chris Kappas, longtime Blacksburg local and restauranteur.

In this interview, Chris Kappas talks about becoming principal partner in the Greek's restaurant with his father's former business…

The third installment of a series of oral history interviews with Blacksburg local, restauranteur, and active community member Chris Kappas.

This oral history interview begins with Chris talking about his childhood growing up in war-torn Greece.…

The second session in a series of oral history interviews with Chris Kappas, local Blacksburg restaurateur and land lord.

In this interview, Chris Kappas recounts his early life growing up in the Greek countryside during World War II while…

The first in a special series of interviews with Chris Kappas, a local Blacksburg businessman, land lord, and restaurateur. Born in Greece in 1938, Chris Kappas is the son of Nick Kappas, early Greek immigrant and restaurateur in Southwest Virginia.…

Campus view of VPI development plan, printed in 1927.

A book describing the history of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, including its formation as a land grant university and its proposed education model.

Willie Wilson, born just outside of Fries in Fallville, Va. moved back to Fries in 1965 to work for the Washington Mills Co. Textile Mill. He started in the gardener shop, then moved into the weave room as a doffer, which he remained as for decades…

Kevin Combs grew up just outside of Fries, Va., and spent his summers working in the mill as a doffer. His family has history with the town, as his grandfather was the minister of the Baptist Church until 1945, and his father similarly grew up in the…

An oral history interview with Dennis Hines, who, despite descending from generations of textile mill workers, never worked in the mill. In this interview, Dennis talks about his family's history with the town, growing up in Fries, and what happened…

An oral history interview with Christine "Chris" Beamer Cooper, a Fries native who grew up in the Hollow, a small neighborhood within Fries. After moving to Galax in the 1960s, she worked for the Roses department store for forty years and settled in…

An oral history interview with Roger Hines, a former worker in the Fries textile mill. He began working in the card room in the 1970s, and worked intermittently in the slash room, as a spare hand, and on the interdraft. In this interview, Roger…

An oral history interview with Melva Anders, a former worker of the Fries textile mill. She began in 1966 working in the spool room, and during her years long career would also work weaving, creeling, cloth inspection, and production. In this…

Pages from the receipt book dealing with specific home remedies.

Pages from the Manuscript Receipt Book dealing with remedies for the home.

A handwritten home remedy/receipt book with entries in English and French. The book is bound in red leather with paper marbling on the inner binding.

A handwritten receipt book containing handwritten receipts and pages from cookery booklets. The receipts range from cures for illness and maladies in people and animals to practical receipts for paint and stains.

This item also includes a partial…