University History]]>
As a student who majored in dairy science in the College of Agriculture, Bird was involved in numerous organizations and activities during his time at Virginia Tech. Bird was also President of his class, Chairman of the Ring Committee, and, during his senior year, a Regimental Commander, the highest rank a cadet can hold. In his story, Bird tells of walking across the snow and mud that blanketed the drillfield, something he feels all Hokies can relate to. He also speaks of the wonderful campus food, the snowball fights, the Corps pranks, and the unbelievable stories of the playful rivalry between Virginia Tech and VMI.

Following his graduation from Virginia Tech, Bird was commissioned as an officer in the Army before attending law school at Washington Lee University. His expansive career includes practicing law for 30 years, spending 25 of those years as a judge, and being a state senator, a lifetime honorary board member, and a President of the Alumni Association. Bird has remained so heavily involved with Tech that the class of 2014 honored him by naming their class ring in his honor. Despite his tremendous career, what Bird chiefly wants to be remembered as, is someone who always lives up to his school’s motto, Ut Prosim. Throughout his story, Danny Bird shows the love and respect that he and his classmates share for Virginia Tech.
]]> 2015-10-09]]> Permission to publish material from the VT Stories Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.]]> Danny Bird, VT Stories]]> Click here for synced audio and transcript ]]> Oral histories]]> Special Collections, University Libraries, Virginia Tech]]> University History]]>
Marvin Boyd, graduate of the class of 2001, spent his time at Virginia Tech as a Resident Advisor, Resident Advisor Coordinator, and then the Head of Resident Advisors in O’Shaughnessy Hall. He understood the value of a supportive atmosphere for students who might be leaving home for the first time. Marvin built his own college experiences while simultaneously constructing a community where all Hokies could find their home.

Hokies continue to show the drive to help their communities even after they have completed their education. Blacksburg, as Marvin points out, is an isolated place, but this is not a bad isolation; it is, rather, an isolation that fosters a “closer knit community,” that allows students to leave with a permanent sense of Ut Prosim.

Marvin’s actions after he graduated emphasize the importance of the community and attitude towards service that was instilled in him as a student. He also comments on the significance of this affinity for service in other Hokies as well. He was struck in particular by the Relay for Life event that he witnessed when he returned to Tech after graduating. He notes that this event really shows the kind of passion and care that Tech students have, and use, to create a better community.
This kind of passion is what drove Marvin, as the President of the Alumni Chapter in Washington D.C., to organize an annual blood drive and memorial service following the events on April 16th. He also continues to visit Tech and serve with the Alumni Association.

As highlighted in this story, when you’re a Hokie, you’re a Hokie for life – Ut Prosim will always be your motto.

]]> 2015-10-09]]> Permission to publish material from the VT Stories Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.]]> Marvin Boyd, VT Stories]]> Click here for synced audio and transcript ]]> Oral histories]]> Special Collections, University Libraries, Virginia Tech]]> University History]]>
In his later career, he worked in architecture firms around Winston-Salem, North Carolina and eventually established his own. Along with a successful architecture firm, he opened a vineyard in East Bend. He remains involved with Virginia Tech as an active alumni, where he serves as a board member for the Alumni Association. ]]> 2015-10-09]]> Permission to publish materials from the VT Stories Oral History Collection must be obtained from Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech. ]]> Click here for synced audio and transcript ]]> Oral histories]]> Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries, Virginia Tech. ]]>