Michael, Rudolph Dixon, 1904-1994
Biographical Note
Rudolph Dixon Michael, Virginia Tech alumnus and agricultural information editor, was born in Berwick, Pennsylvania on January 5, 1994. The son of William Ellis and Laura McHenry Michael, he graduated from Virginia Tech in 1926 with a degree in agricultural engineering. (He would later also obtain a degree from Kansas State University.) An active student, Michael was a member of the basketball team and several clubs; he also served as editor of the student newspaper and as president of the senior class. Michael became an English instructor at Virginia Tech in 1928, while also serving as an assistant in publications. In 1930, he became director of broadcasting and assistant agricultural editor of the Agricultural Extension Division. In 1943, he was promoted to agricultural editor, a position from which he retired in 1965. Michael served on the Blacksburg Town Council for ten years and later in life served as chairman of the VPI-Blacksburg Sanitation Authority. He was a member of several community organizations and a deacon at Blacksburg Baptist Church. Michael and his wife, Mary Spiggle Michael, had two daughters. He died January 5, 1994.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Rudolph Dixon Michael Papers
This collection contains the papers of Virginia Tech alumnus and agricultural information editor, Rudolph Dixon Michael. It contains correspondence and notes relating to the histories Blacksburg, the Preston family, and Smithfield Plantation (including maps of the grounds and the cemetery). It also contains a few campus photographs and printed materials related to Virginia Tech.