Browse Items (205 total)

At a time when the world was undergoing revolution, Wesley and Linda Patterson were enjoying the academic seclusion of Virginia Tech. They both began their undergraduate careers in 1972; Linda graduated with majors in mathematics and psychology in…

Todd Ogle grew up in Northern Virginia and pursued his undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech from 1992 and 1996. Although he never planned on attending the school, during a visit his loved the student experience and he chose it. During undergrad, he…

The Corps of Cadets has been an essential thread in the fabric of Virginia Tech since 1872. Foregoing the typically collegiate experience, freshmen arrive to Blacksburg and quickly transform from high school graduates into Cadets of the Corps. Todd…

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…

They say that college is where you find lifelong friends, and this couldn’t be any more true for Angi Ackerman, Cecilia Beverine, Chiny Driscoll, and Kristan Saunders. These women are exemplary of the friendships you can find at Virginia Tech.…

Susan Anderson got her passion for social justice and community service from her family. From a young age, she was taught by her mother to stand up for those in need. Her grandparents were involved in their communities, and her grandfather worked in…

Steve Nehrt was born outside of St. Louis, Missouri in a town called Florissant, but he grew up in Springfield, VA. Drawn to the mountainous region of Southwest Virginia, he came to Virginia Tech in the Fall of 1975. After receiving his B.S. in…

The university motto of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) which adorns the steps in front of the Pylons that rest atop of the War Memorial Chapel illuminate the significance of the spirit of the university. For Samuel (Sam) Lewis Lionberger, Jr. who was…

Rosemary Beiszner came to Virginia Tech as a foot in the door to the academic world. She attended undergraduate at Mercyhurst College, studying home economics. She went on to pursue a master’s degree in family and child development at Ohio State.…

Roger H. More was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland in 1942. From an early age he knew that he would attend college, but planned on going to Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. These plans changed when his best friend and his bother went to…

Although Rich and Libby Carpenter each experienced their own unique version of Virginia Tech, they can both attest to the sense of community that they felt during their time here. Rich Carpenter, class of 1967, did not join the Virginia Tech Corps of…

For Rhonda and Phil Rogers, “the rest of history” isn’t just a well worn phrase or one that is used to indicate their place in the history of Virginia Tech. The story that would take them from small towns in Southwest Virginia to the growing…

Pat Hyer grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, in a household where education was paramount. She attended undergraduate school at Hillsdale College, receiving a scholarship to the University of Michigan for a master’s degree in French. After working for a…

Pamela Gryzbowski grew up in Springfield, VA as the youngest of seven. Following her siblings, she attended college, although at Virginia Tech, from 1987 to 1991 and majored in business. Upon graduating, she began working at a community…

Renowned poet, eight time NAACP award winner, University Distinguished Professor, and the list of achievements goes on, but much to Virginia Tech’s credit–Nikki Giovanni is a Hokie. Although she didn’t attend Virginia Tech for her degree, she…

It is easy for us to view today’s version of Virginia Tech as a technologically advanced university that is particularly superior in the fields of science and math. Each day students utilize lab equipment and technology without considering what…

Neal Henshaw took a roundabout path to becoming a Hokie. He was born in Buckingham, Virginia, and despite being familiar with Virginia Tech, he decided to go to BYU and pursue Spanish education. After graduation, he worked several jobs to help…

Natalie Strawn Kelly grew up in Blacksburg, and was nearly predestined for Virginia Tech. She graduated in 1974, majoring in Elementary Education. In this interview, she talks about her time at Virginia Tech, taking classes, living in Northern…

Mickey Hayes, born as Charles Joseph Hayes, Jr. was born in Pittsburgh in 1941, moved to Norfolk very shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and finally settled in Virginia Beach for the rest of his childhood. Here, he mostly spent his time away…

Michael Goode, born in Richmond, Virginia, attended Virginia Tech from 2001 to 2006, majoring in business information technology. While at Virginia Tech he felt disconnected from the culture as it was predominately white, which led him to take part…

Mayer Levy was born and raised in Newport News, Virginia to a VPI family, and came to VPI partly on that influence and through a scholarship. He graduated in 1960 as a biology major, and continued to dental school at Georgetown. After finishing in…

Matt Winston Sr., Virginia Tech class of 1959, was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1938, the youngest of three children. Though he grew up in a time of warfare and racial segregation in a poor family, he enjoyed his childhood. He remembers being hardly…

As one of Virginia Tech’s first black graduates, Matt Winston’s father was able to share a number of stories, both positive and negative, about the university. While he did hear stories of his father being called by the university’s president…

Matt Fox grew up in Manassas, Virginia surrounded by the rich history of the area. As the youngest of three, Matt was the first in his family to attend college, where he chose Virginia Tech partially because of his mother. While at Virginia Tech he…

Matt Arden grew up in Woodbridge, being raised by a single-father. He attended Virginia Tech for undergraduate, studying IDST. In this interview, Matt talks about his journey to Virginia, falling into film through filming Virginia Tech athletics, and…

In an hour and 10 minute interview of Mary Nolen
Blackwood and Willis Blackwood, Ren Harman asks about
their lives as they connect to Virginia Tech. Along with
early life at Virginia Tech and family life, this interview
touches on their continued…

Mary “Prim” Jones grew up in Blacksburg and around campus. Although she considered other colleges, she chose to attend Virginia Tech for her undergraduate degree, studying mechanical engineering as an early female student. She graduated in 1962,…

As the new, starry-eyed freshman class arrives to Blacksburg in August, they begin to make their home in one of Virginia Tech’s twenty-seven residences halls. Their rooms are then the stage for the countless memories of their first year as Hokies.…

Mallory Foutch came to Virginia Tech in 2016 after attending both undergrad and grad school elsewhere. During school, she was a passionate social activist and feminist, which she turned to in her work here with the Women’s Center as a program…

Lorraine Feury was born and raised as a first generation immigrant in Northern Virginia. Her parents lived in Sierra Leone before moving to England for college. Although they did not finish, they moved to America and raised Lorraine to value family…

Acceptance and equality are cornerstones of today’s Hokie Nation. Lisa Ellison, a member of the 1986 graduating class, was a prominent leader of social change here at Virginia Tech. Serving as the President of the Black Organizations Council and a…

You don’t have to graduate from Virginia Tech to be a Hokie. After moving to Blacksburg as a faculty spouse, Linda Plaut joined the university’s staff as a part-time teacher. What started as a temporary position blossomed into a permanent career…

Lonnie Johns was born and raised in Roanoke, Virginia with close ties to Virginia Tech. Although he was drawn to other schools, his mother receiving a PhD from the school and the architecture department led him to attend. He graduated from Virginia…

Kunmi Otitoju, born in Lagos, Nigera in 1983, attended Virginia Tech as a master's student in computer science from 2005 to 2007. Growing up, Kunmi grew up in Nigeria and attended primary and high school there. Her older sister was an exceptional…

For Kimberly Williams, Virginia Tech has filled many roles. From 2002 to 2008 it was her university, and recently her place of employment – but it is, and has been, much more. A graduate of the class of 2008, she majored in psychology with…

While college is often a place where students can broaden their social horizons by meeting new people, joining clubs, playing sports, and attending events, its primary function is to provide its student body with an excellent education that will help…

In this nearly hour long interview, Ren Harman, Project Manager for VT Stories, interviews Kevin Crofton, Class of 1982, in the Holtzman Alumni Center on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. In this interview, Kevin reflects on his time…

Virginia Tech is known for its large campus and its striking architecture, and while it is easy to appreciate these features, many incoming students are easily intimidated by them. When Katie Frazier, Class of 2004, began her studies at Tech, she was…

Karen DePauw, born in Los Angeles, California, began her journey in higher education at Whittier College, majoring in Sociology. After graduating, she worked in special education at Los Angeles County Schools for several years before deciding to…

To his grandchildren he is known as their “Hokie Pawpaw,” but to others he is known as Judge Danny W. Bird from the 27th Judicial Court in the state of Virginia. Bird, class of 1960, details his story of growing up on a dairy farm in Bland…

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…

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…

The son of a head bookkeeper and a civil servant, John Frasier was born in 1933 and grew up in Arlington, Virginia. Although he grew up on the heels of the Depression and in the midst of WWII, John recalls a pleasant childhood. Always having been…

John Dooley was born in Summersville, West Virginia as the middle child in a coal mining family. Growing up he was very active in 4-H, which he later pursued as a career. John attended Alderson-Broaddus College (now University) and worked there for…

On the weekend of his 50th college reunion, John Bates finds himself pausing as he crosses the Drillfield on a quiet Sunday morning. It was as if he entered a “timewarp,” John states. As if the past 50 years had just rewound, and he was, once…

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…

Joe Frazier began his undergraduate career at Virginia Tech in 2009, and remains a part of the Hokie community through his work as assistant director for the Culture and Community Centers in Squires, where he oversees the Asian Cultural Engagement…

Jim Hatch went to Lynchburg College as an undergraduate, majoring in management. Upon graduating, he attended Virginia Tech for a Master’s of Accounting and graduated in 1972. Afterwards, he began working as a public accountant and remained active…

As a Cadet in Virginia Tech’s Corps of Cadets, a student becomes an ethical ambassador for the Virginia Tech student body. Beyond the demanding physical challenges and regimented schedules, Cadets must follow a strict code of behavior. For Jess…

In this VT Stories oral history interview, Ren Harman interviews Jerry Hulick, Class of 1973. Hulick discusses his time at Virginia Tech during the protests of the Vietnam War and the changing landscape of the culture in Virginia Tech and Blacksburg.…