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"VT Stories Oral History with Bill Latham, May 21, 2015 (Ms2016-015)",,"University History","On the residential side of campus, there is an academic building where researchers from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and College of Natural Resources and Environment (CNRE) work diligently to find solutions to environmental issues and improve the quality of life for all of Earth’s inhabitants. This is Latham Hall. In 2006, Latham Hall was named after an outstanding alumni and integral member of the Hokie community, Bill C. Latham, after he and his wife, Betty, made a large donation to the University to support research. Latham has remained an involved member of the Virginia Tech community since he graduated with a degree in General Agriculture in 1955.
Why did Latham choose to come to Virginia Tech, a University he has had unbreakable ties with for over the past 50 years? Simple. His mother.
Latham’s mother wanted her son to experience a broad education in agriculture. The Lathams own hundreds of acres of farmland in Prince William county in northern Virginia: the same farmland Latham has lived on since he was brought back from the hospital as a baby in 1933. With an education from Virginia Tech, Latham was prepared to operate the farm, while working in the banking and hotel businesses on the side to provide for education for his four children.
The University was much different back when Latham began his studies in 1951. During that time, the majority of the student body was made up of the Corps of Cadets. However, Latham was not interested in joining the military after graduation. He had a farm to return to.
Leaving the Corps of Cadets meant that Latham became one of the one thousand civilian students on campus. He made the most of this experience, becoming the president of the growing civilian body.
Latham has a variety of anecdotes from his years as a student — from standing up to an irate English professor, to learning how to pilot in a rented J3 Cub, a well-known, lightweight aircraft. One of the most memorable stories happened his senior year when other students played a trick on him after a dance at the Student Activities Building.
Six years after graduation, in 1961, friend and fellow alumni, Buddy Russell, asked Latham to join the Alumni Board. While on this board, Latham was forced to make difficult, yet important decisions for the future of the University. Latham had a major role in assisting the University during a time of financial trouble in the late 80’s. After President Lavery made poor financial decisions concerning the Athletic Department, Latham, as a member of the Alumni Board and Board of Visitors, advised that the former president resign from his position.After a 12 year break from the Board of Visitors, Latham returned after President Torgersen stepped down from his position to resume teaching in 2000. This meant Latham played a role in choosing the next president of the University.
Latham has been honored with multiple awards for his dedication to his alma mater, including the Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 1996 and the William H. Ruffner Medal in 2007. Regarding the future of the University, Latham hopes that Virginia Tech continues with the goals of remaining a land-grant University and making a college education possible for capable students.",,,,,,2015-05-21,,,,,,,,,,"Permission to publish material from the VT Stories Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.",,,,,,,,,,"Bill Latham, VT Stories",,,,,,,,,,,"Oral histories",Ms2016-015_BillLatham,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Special Collections, University Libraries, Virginia Tech",,"Ren Harman",,,,,,,1:03:19,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,OHMS,"Bill Latham",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"http://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/files/original/c741014df26ec8b78c867066d7aa941e.jpg,http://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/files/original/5917114daba740450a78040b637fe285.mp3","Oral History","VT Stories Oral History Collection (Ms2016-015)",1,0
"VT Stories Oral History with Joseph Barlow, May 21, 2015 (Ms2016-015)",,"University History","Joseph Barlow was born on a farm in 1928, shortly before The Great Depression. Barlow never questioned where he was going to attend college; the answer was always Virginia Tech. Like his father, Barlow enrolled at Virginia Tech, and graduated with a degree in agriculture engineering in 1950.
Even though he was attending his top school, Barlow almost dropped out during his difficult Rat Year in the Corps of Cadets. However, some encouragement from his mother and physician convinced him to stay.
After graduation, Barlow farmed with his father for four years before being called to serve time in the Air Force. After his two years, he declined the invitation to work full-time with the military to return to his number one passion, farming. Due to his ability as a natural leader, Barlow has been tied to Virginia Tech throughout his adult life. His role as a leader increased while his children were in school; he served on the PTA for fifteen years and during the last five years he was chairman of the schoolboard. During that time, he was also appointed by the Governor to a study commission for agriculture for the state. Barlow was also on the Ag. Counsel and served on the Board of Agriculture Consumer Services for eight years.
During his last three years with the Board of Agriculture Consumer Services, Barlow was elected president. This provided him a seat on the Board of Visitors at Tech. He held his position for three years during the mid-90s. While on the Board of Visitors, Barlow was one of the members who helped elect Dr. Torgersen as President of the University in 1993.
Barlow has taken the University’s motto seriously his entire life, and it shows through his actions.",,,,,,2015-05-21,,,,,,,,,,"Permission to publish material from the VT Stories Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.",,,,,,,,,,"Joseph Barlow, VT Stories",,,,,,,,,,,"Oral histories",Ms2016-015_JoeBarlow,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Special Collections, University Libraries, Virginia Tech",,"David Cline",,"Holtzman Alumni Center, Virginia Tech campus",,,,,00:57:21,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,OHMS,"Joseph Barlow",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"http://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/files/original/d5eba7fc571f4f1d6f56de9cc37da12f.jpg,http://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/files/original/a4da6c060ebe8f2cb416a9d83e8399fa.mp3","Oral History","VT Stories Oral History Collection (Ms2016-015)",1,0
"VT Stories Oral History with Eugene Banks, May 21, 2015 (Ms2016-015)",,"University History","Eugene Banks, class of 1950, had never even seen Virginia Tech before the day he enrolled. Banks began his education in 1946 at the age of 16. While he never visited the campus due to the United States’ gasoline rationing in the early 1940s, Banks knew he wanted to study engineering. He initially decided to study electrical engineering before switching his concentration to industrial engineering.
When Banks came to the University in 1946, it was mandatory that all able-bodied male students with no prior military experience spend two years in the Corps of Cadets. The Richmond native says the adjustment to such a controlled environment was a difficult one, with penalties being handed out for even the slightest infractions.
Despite the difficulties of the first year, also called the “Rat Year,” the alumnus says that he is grateful for his time in the Corps of Cadets.
Not having made a social visit in years, Banks is unfamiliar with many of the school’s changes since his time as an undergraduate, other than the addition of social fraternities and the Corps of Cadets no longer being a requirement.
Eugene stays involved with Virginia Tech predominately through his love for athletics. While Eugene’s two sons graduated from Tech, at this point he connects most deeply with Virginia Tech’s Hokie football team. Eugene has been witness to the evolution of Tech, but he will always remember it as his open-country, military university of 1950.
",,,,,,2015-05-21,,,,,,,,,,"Permission to publish material from the VT Stories Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.",,,,,,,,,,"Eugene Banks, VT Stories",,,,,,,,,,,"Oral histories",Ms2016-015_EugeneBanks,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Special Collections, University Libraries, Virginia Tech",,"Claire Gogan",,"Holtzman Alumni Center, Virginia Tech campus",,,,,01:14:26,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,OHMS,"Eugene Banks",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"http://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/files/original/79f2806900589bf310bcf166cf81016b.png,http://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/files/original/84ad4a1bf9ce974c7066da4f58427bfc.mp3","Oral History","VT Stories Oral History Collection (Ms2016-015)",1,0