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Records of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors

 Record Group
Identifier: RG-01

Scope and Content

The Records of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors includes unofficial minutes, correspondence, reports, Executive Committee minutes and reports, material from and about individual members of the Board, and reports to the Board of Visitors.

Dates

  • 1873-1879, 1888-ca. 1990s, 2002, 2009, undated

Creator

Language of Materials

The materials in the collection are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Administrative History

The legislation that created Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) provided for the establishment of a board of visitors as a governing body. Consisting of both appointed and ex-officio members, the board was empowered to select the president and faculty, determine salaries, handle all matters of discipline and student life, and be responsible for all property of the College.

Governor Gilbert C. Walker appointed the first board on March 19, 1872, the day he signed the bill creating the college, and the first meeting was held March 25 and 26 in Richmond. Board appointments are still made by the governor and subject to confirmation by the Virginia Senate. Since its inception, the board has been chaired by a Rector.

Various changes have occurred throughout the years concerning the composition of the board, primarily relating to number and qualifications of appointees and offices to be represented ex-officio. The first board was composed of nine appointed members, with the president of the State Agricultural Society and members of the State Board of Education serving ex-officio. The next year, the makeup was changed so only the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the president of the Agricultural Society served ex-officio. Later, the president of the Agricultural Society was eliminated as an ex-officio member, but the State Superintendent of Public Instruction remained until 1966. The president of the Board of Agriculture and Immigration (now Consumer Services) became an ex-officio member after 1902, now being the only ex-officio member serving with thirteen appointed members. Four non-voting members have been added to represent the faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students.

Extent

8.4 Cubic Feet (12 boxes)

Abstract

The Records of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors includes unofficial minutes, correspondence, reports, Executive Committee minutes and reports, material from and about individual members of the Board, and reports to the Board of Visitors.

Arrangement

This collection is divided by material type and RG subgroup number. Each subgroup is divided by RG subgroup number and chronologically.

Record Group Subgroups

  1. RG 1 - Student and Personnel Records
  2. RG 1/1 - Official Minutes
  3. RG 1/2 - Unofficial Minutes, Correspondence, and Supporting Materials
  4. RG 1/3 - Committees of the Board - Executive Committee
  5. RG 1/4 - Individual Members of the Board
  6. RG 1/5 - Administration and Governance Structure
  7. RG 1/7 - Annual Reports

Source of Acquisition

The Records of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors were transferred to Special Collections and University Archives prior to 1980. The Thomas S. Bocock Papers and General G. C. Wharton Paperswere received in 1955. Additional items were transferred in multiple accruals between 2003 and 2019.

Existence and Location of Copies

Contact Special Collections and University Archives for a digital copy of the Board of Visitors Official Minutes, 1910, and for the reports from Radford College to the Board of Visitors, 1960-1962.

Copies of official minutes held by Records Management are also available from Special Collections and University Archives.

Related Archival Materials

The majority of material from this body, including the official minutes, are housed in the Records Management office. Permission for access should be obtained through the Virginia Tech Office of the President or the Secretary to the Board of Visitors.

Digital copies of some of the official records are available on the Board of Visitors website.

An index to Board of Visitors' official minutes from 1898 through 1959 that are held by Records Management is available in the Special Collections and University Archives reference collection. (This index does not include the 1910 official minutes in this collection.)

See also the Records of Radford College, the Women's Division of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, RG 24.

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Records of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your- work/public-domain/cc0/).

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Records of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors was completed in 2017. The processing, arrangement, and description of additions was completed in November 2019.

Title
Records of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, 1873-1879, 1888-ca. 1990s, 2002, 2009, undated
Status
Completed
Author
LeeAnn Jones, Student Worker, and LM Rozema, Archivist
Date
2019 (CC0 1.0)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository

Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308