Biographical Note

Leslie Wallace Jerrell, the son of Robert H. and Nannie Johnson Jerrell, was born in Virginia on July 4, 1871. In 1890, Jerrell left Virginia for Florida and performed manual labor in several different jobs there. Jerrell had returned to Virginia by November, when he enrolled as a student at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University). To help defray his expenses, Jerrell worked at a number of jobs on campus: in the woodshop, the machine shop, and the president's office. In summer 1892, and while still a student, Jerrell was employed as a part-time instructor of woodwork. The following summer, he worked with a group of carpenters in remodeling campus buildings and erecting faculty housing. Later in 1893, Jerrell was provided a salary as head of the cabinet-making department of the woodshop. In 1894, Jerrell applied for a position as an engineer with the U. S. Revenue Cutter Service (later part of the U. S. Coast Guard) and interviewed with the service in December. He graduated the following spring. In the fall of 1895, Jerrell was awarded a teaching fellowship at Virginia Polytechnic Institute as he worked toward a master's degree in mechanical engineering. After obtaining his master's in June, 1897, Jerrell accepted a position as full-time instructor in mechanical technology at VPI. In late 1898, Jerrell became ill and entered Johns Hopkins Hospital. He left the hospital in May and returned to his family's home in Spotsylvania County. Leslie Wallace Jerrell died on June 8, 1898.

Found in 1 Collection or Record: