Browse Items (218 total)

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…

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…

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 Curry…

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,…

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…

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…

First Black Woman to Graduate from Virginia Tech

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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 campus…

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…

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…

Ginney Fowler was born in Lexington, Kentucky but moved around for the majority of her upbringing. From age four to seventeen, she lived in Texas, Montana, Kentucky, Oregon, and Florida, but then entered the University of Kentucky as an early…

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 Hokies,”…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 the…

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 of…

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…

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 and…

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 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 sociology…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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, and…

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 few…

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…

In this interview, Nancy talks about her time as a lesbian at Virginia Tech in the late 1970s and her memories of the Denim Day event planned by the Gay Student Alliance as part of Gay Awareness Week in 1979.