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Type is exactly "Oral histories"
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VT Stories Oral History with Jeffrey Bowling, October 23, 2015 (Ms2016-015)
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,…
VT Stories Oral History with James Godek, September 16, 2016 (Ms2016-015)
We mourn the loss of a persevering and inspiring member of the Hokie community. James Godek did a lot of things in his life, but one thing he never did is quit. The Corps of Cadets, the navy, Ironman triathlons, and brain cancer — Godek pushed…
VT Stories Oral History with James Boone, June 2, 2017 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History with James "Bud" Robertson, June 8, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History with Jack Evans, March 3, 2017 (Ms2016-015)
Dr. Jack Evans grew up in California before moving to Colorado for several years. He moved again in high school to Reno, Nevada, where he then attended undergraduate at University of Nevada, Reno and majored in biology. After graduation, he planned…
VT Stories Oral History with Ida Powell, May 17, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
Ida Powell graduated from Virginia Tech in 1958 with a bachelor's degree in home economics. In this hour-long interview, Powell discusses her experience as a female student attending Virginia Tech's campus in the 1950s as well as her humanitarian…
VT Stories Oral History with Greg Fansler, March 3, 2017 (Ms2016-015)
fter graduation, some Virginia Tech students are left with four years worth of memories, while others have memories surrounding the university that were created before enrolling or even after graduating. Greg Fansler, Class of 2002, is one example of…
VT Stories Oral History with Gerald Miller, May 16, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
Gerald Miller grew up on a farm in Harrisonburg, Virginia. From an early age, he had responsibilities and schooling expectations drilled into him, which heavily guided his career. He attended Virginia Tech and graduated in 1965, majoring in Agronomy.…
VT Stories Oral History with George Fox, May 19, 2017 (Ms2016-015)
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.…
VT Stories Oral History with General Carlton Everhart, September 23, 2017 (Ms2016-015)
Since childhood, General Carlton Everhart has strongly believed in the importance of honesty, integrity, and humility. He has lived life with these ideals prioritized first – from his humble beginnings on his family farm to his influential military…
VT Stories Oral History with Gene James, November 20, 2015 (Ms2016-015)
Gene James grew up in Blacksburg, Virginia, born to a Virginia Tech family. His father and two brothers all graduated from Virginia Tech, which played an influential role in his decision to attend. He graduated in 1953, majoring in animal sciences,…
VT Stories Oral History with Frank Nolen, May 17, 2016 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History with Frank Beamer, June 7, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
Frank Beamer was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina in 1946, but grew up just across state lines in Fancy Gap, a suburb of Hillsville, Virginia. Growing up on a farm, hard-work was instilled in him from an early age, along with the value of higher…
VT Stories Oral History with First African American Women Students, April 22, 2016 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History with Ezra "Bud" Brown, April 3, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
Dr. Ezra A. “Bud” Brown grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana knowing he was expected to attend college. After graduating high school, he attended Rice University and after switching majors a few times, ultimately chose math. When he graduated from…
VT Stories Oral History with Eugene Banks, May 21, 2015 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History with Duston Scarborough, April 22, 2016 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History with Douglas Martin, May 5, 2019 (Ms2016-015)
Douglas Martin, Ed.D. is Director Emeritus in the
Department of Human Resources at Virginia Tech. This
nearly hour-long interview contains his first-hand account
of several impactful people and events that shaped Tech in
the last half century.…
VT Stories Oral History with Douglas Beaver, September 16, 2016 (Ms2016-015)
Captain Douglas J. Beaver was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. During his childhood, his father’s naval career took them all over the world to places like: Japan, Washington, DC; Newport, Rhode Island; San Diego, California; the Philippines; and Germany.…
VT Stories Oral History with Doug Montgomery, March 26, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
Doug Montgomery grew up in Radford, Virginia, playing baseball and golf, knowing that he would continue in higher education. Now a proud triple Hokie of industrial engineering, Doug graduated with a BS, MS, and Ph.D in 1965, 1967, and 1969…
VT Stories Oral History with David Lowe, September 27, 2015 (Ms2016-015)
A life fully lived accurately sums up the the life of David Lowe. Lowe, class president of 1963 details his humble beginnings of growing up in a small working-class family in West Virginia. Lowe’s parents were both teachers, and in his story he…
VT Stories Oral History with Curry Roberts, November 21, 2015 (Ms2016-015)
Curry Roberts grew up not too far from Virginia Tech’s campus in a small village in the western part of Bedford County. His parents grew up in the depression, and they met after WWII. Curry’s older brother also graduated from Virginia Tech, and…
VT Stories Oral History with Clara Cox, March 23, 2018
In this VT Stories interview from 2018, Manisha Sharma interviews the former Director of University Publications Clara Cox in the Holtzman Alumni Center. In this oral history Cox talks about her rise through the ranks of university relations, her…
VT Stories Oral History with Christina Daves, November 3, 2017 (Ms2016-015)
Christina Daves attended Virginia Tech from 1985 to 1988, majoring in Political Science and German. In this interview, she talks about her time on campus during a turbulent era, work in her sorority Chi Omega, and her career after. After graduating,…
VT Stories Oral History with Chris Kraft, April 29, 2017 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History with Charles Tynan, May 17, 2017 (Ms2016-015)
A proud alumnus, Charles Tynan is no stranger to the Blacksburg area or Virginia Tech. From the years of 1947 to 1952 he was an undergraduate student, living in dorms and a cadet in the Corps. He spent the majority of his time devoted to academics,…
VT Stories Oral History with Calvin Jamison, April 22, 2016 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History with Buddy and Frances Russell, May 15, 2015 (Ms2016-015)
Virginia Tech has always been an integral part of the life of George Edwin Russell, Class of 1952. Russell, known to most as Buddy, grew up on a country farm working with pigs, dairy cows, and beef cattle. This led Russell to join the 4H club as a…
VT Stories Oral History with Brooks Whitehurst, September 16, 2017 (Ms2016-015)
Brooks Whitehurst grew up in Wytheville, Virginia, and from a young age he knew his future as an engineer. His father decided his path, but allowed him to choose chemical engineering at Virginia Tech. Brooks graduated from Virginia Tech in 1951, and…
VT Stories Oral History with Bob Quisenberry, April 3, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
Bob Quisenberry, Class of 1962, discusses his life and
career, including his time as a student at Virginia Tech and his continued involvement with the university in the decades since.
VT Stories Oral History with Bob Bates, October 2, 2017 (Ms2016-015)
Education has always been important in the life of Robert “Bob” Bates, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (now College of Science). Both of his parents were college-educated, and his mother was a teacher, while his father worked for…
VT Stories Oral History with Bob and Judy Slaughter, October 10, 2015 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History with Bill Starnes, April 26, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
William (Bill) Starnes, Jr., Virginia Tech class of 1955, never seriously considered any other school. Bill always knew that he was going to college, and because his father attended the university, having graduated in 1924, it seemed like the perfect…
VT Stories Oral History with Bill Roth, January 26, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
Bill Roth grew up in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania playing ice hockey. He attended Syracuse University studying multimedia journalism, wanting to work in sports broadcasting. After graduating, he was hired at Virginia Tech as the “Voice of the…
VT Stories Oral History with Bill Latham, May 21, 2015 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History with Bertram Kinzey, May 19, 2016 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History with Apryl Alexander, April 21, 2016 (Ms2016-015)
As part of a military family, Apryl Alexander, class of 2005, grew accustomed to a lifestyle that took her to many parts of the world. At Virginia Tech, however, Apryl found a community and a home in which she could finally settle down. Due to the…
VT Stories Oral History with April Cheek-Messier, October 22, 2015 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History Collection Oral History with Chris Kappas 5/6, December 6, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History Collection Oral History with Chris Kappas 4/6, August 31, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History Collection Oral History with Chris Kappas 3/6, August 20, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
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.…
VT Stories Oral History Collection Oral History with Chris Kappas 2/6, August 7, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
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…
VT Stories Oral History Collection Oral History with Chris Kappas 1/6, July 30, 2018 (Ms2016-015)
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.…
VT Stories Oral History Collection Oral History with Chris and Maria Kappas 6/6, May 13, 2019 (Ms2016-015)
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…
Transcript of oral history with Linda Adams Hoyle, November 3, 2000 (Ms1995-026)
First Black Woman to Graduate from Virginia Tech
Oral History with Yuliza Otanez, June 15, 2021 (Ms2021-023)
Interview with Yulizia Otanez for the Voces of a Pandemic oral history project in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin. Yuliza Otanez, 21, is a retail worker and a student at Liberty University. Her parents in Roanoke, grandmother in…
Oral History with William Simpkins, July 25, 2019 (Ms2019-001)
William Simpkins discusses his experience coming to Virginia Tech as a student from the local area in the late 1990s and coming out as gay while here. He talks about the history of gay student groups at Virginia Tech in the late 1990s and their…
Oral History with William Burrell Morgan, February 25, 1991 (Ms1991-019)
William Burrell Morgan, who went by Burrell, was born in Iowa before he moved to the Christiansburg area. Morgan attended Hill School and graduated from Christiansburg Industrial Institute; later, he operated his family's taxi service, which had been…
Oral History with Walter Lewis, March 14, 1991 (Ms1991-019)
Walter Lewis was born in 1926, and he grew up in the Radford-Blacksburg area. After graduating from Christiansburg Institute, Lewis served in the Navy during WWII; later in life, he worked for Virginia Tech. In this interview, Lewis describes his…
Oral History with W. Waymon and Cora Pack, March 11, 1991 (Ms1991-019)
William Waymon Pack was born in Montgomery County on August 7, 1920, and he grew up in Riner, Virginia. Pack attended a local primary school before attending Christiansburg Industrial Institute. Due to financial difficulties, Pack had to drop out of…
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