When Jeffrey Bowling graduated from high school in 1976, he did not appreciate that his friends and family all assumed he would go to Virginia Tech just because he was from a family of Hokies. Both his older brother and sister attended Virginia Tech,…
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…
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…
April Cheek-Messier arrived at Virginia Tech for her master's degree in history in 1996. Prior to coming to Blacksburg, she attended undergraduate school at Hollins, and got a master's degree in both history and English. In the master's program at…
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…
Duston Scarborough was born in Anchorage, Alaska. As his mother was in the Navy, he frequently moved around, living in places like Puerto Rico and Texas. Upon settling down in Hampton Roads, he got involved in 4-H and took part in Congresses which…
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…
Christopher Columbus Kraft, Jr. is a Class of 1944 Virginia Tech graduate born. He was born on February 28, 1924 in the small town of Phoebus, Virginia, which later merged into Hampton, Virginia. Growing up, Chris knew everyone in his town, and they…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…