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Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary and Old Dominion College Collection

 Collection
Collection ID: RG 33

Scope and Contents

The bulk of the collection contains records pertaining to the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary and Old Dominion College. Included in the records are correspondence, newspapers, reports, college histories, building plans, bulletins, course descriptions and syllabi, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks.

Dates

  • circa 1930-1979, undated
  • Majority of material found within 1940-1960

Creator

Extent

15.00 Linear Feet

Conditions Governing Access

Open to researchers without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from Special Collections and University Archives, and the holder of the copyright, if not Old Dominion University Libraries.

Biographical or Historical Information

In 1930, the College of William and Mary developed a two-year campus in Norfolk, located in the former Larchmont grade school on Hampton Boulevard. Initially known as the Norfolk Division of the College William and Mary, the college’s name changed as its course offerings expanded and contracted. In 1931, “Virginia Polytechnic Institute” was added to the school’s title as it began offering engineering classes. In an effort to increase enrollment during World War II, the school began teaching industrial and academic war training courses for the Navy. After the war, these courses were expanded into the Technical Institute, a new division of the college. The Technical Institute, at times part of the Evening College, was created to provide non-credit trade and industrial education for white men and a few courses for white women. In 1958, as the college became increasingly focused on academic instruction, “Virginia Polytechnic Institute” was dropped from the school’s name. Moving towards independence, the school became the “Norfolk College of William and Mary” in 1961. Finally, in 1962 it broke formal ties with the College of William and Mary and became accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) as a separate college with a new name, Old Dominion College. Two years later the college admitted its first African-American student. In 1969, the college expanded its graduate offerings and became Old Dominion University.

Note written by Mel Frizzell

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

These papers documents the college’s early years as a two-year branch campus, the industrial training courses during World War II, the creation of the Evening College and Technical Institute,  and its transition to an accredited university. Included in the records are correspondence, newspapers, reports, college histories, building plans, bulletins, course descriptions and syllabi, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks.

Arrangement Note

The collection is organized into thirteen series: Series I: War Training Files; Series II: Administrative Files; Series III: H.H. Sisson Director of Administration Correspondence; Series IV: Evening College; Series V: Director of Admissions and Registration; Series VI: Academic Files; Series VII: Technical Institute; Series VIII: Student Activity Files; Series IX: Faculty Advisory Committee; Series X: Music Concert Series; Series XI: College Newsletters and Publications; Series XII: College Expansion; and Series XIII: General Correspondence, Notes, Reports, Speeches, Studies, and Summaries.

Source of Acquisition

Unknown

Method of Acquisition

Some of the material was gathered by the faculty Committee on Archives and Records in the 1950s and 1960s. Other portions were collated by Dr. Robert C. McClelland and librarian Benjamin Franklin Clymer.

Title
A Guide to the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary and Old Dominion College College
Author
Mel Frizzell
Date
06/05/2014
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the ODU University Archives Repository

Contact:
3000 Perry Library
4427 Hampton Blvd.
Norfolk VA 23529 US
757-683-5350