Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

University Center in Virginia records, 1946-1978. Accession 30396. Organization records collection. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Kenneth R. Erfft, President of University Center in Virginia, Suite 102, 1518 Willow Lawn Drive, Richmond, Virginia.

Historical Information

Beginning in 1946, nine Virginia institutions formed the Richmond Area University Center to offer evening professional and vocational courses to adults in Richmond: College of William and Mary, Hampden-Sydney College, Medical College of Virginia, Presbyterian Assembly Training School, Randolph-Macon College, Richmond Frofessional Institute of the College of William and Mary (later, separated from the college and became the Richmond Professional Institute), Union Theological Seminary, University of Richmond, and the University of Virginia.

Richmond Public Schools joined the center in 1952 and, by 1959, other institutions joined: Longwood College, Lynchburg College, Mary Washington College, Randolph-Macon Woman's College, Sweet Briar College, Virginia State College, and Virginia Union University. In 1958, the name was changed to University Center in Virginia because of the expanding number of colleges outside Richmond. Membership varied from 32 colleges to only nine in 1978. Due to cost of increasing fees for visiting scholars and lecturers, the center closed in 1978.

Scope and Content

Records, 1946-1978, of the University Center in Virginia consisting of correspondence; by-laws; certificiate of incorporation; leases; biographical information about Herbert W. K. Fitzroy (1903-1967), president of the center; newspaper clippings; photographs; advertisements; memoranda; lectures; information on the Ellen Glasgow house and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Collegiate Artmobile; history of the center; study materials; bulletins, calendars, directories; lectures; research grants; rosters; scrapbooks, and photographs all documenting the 32 years of the center's existence.

Series I: correspondence file, 1956-1963, concerns the center and its operations. Series II: legal file, 1947-1961, includes bylaws and the 1958 certificate of incorporation with the center's name changed from Richmond Area University Center to University Center in Virginia, leases, and sub-leases. Series III: biographical file, 1960-1969, about Herbert W.K. Fitzroy (1903-1967), president of the center. Series IV: information file, 1950-1978, contains certificates, newspaper clippings, photographs; also, information on the Ellen Glasgow House, a Greek revival mansion built in 1841, characteristic of Richmond architecture during 1830's and 1840's, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Collegiate Artmobile, and a history of the center.

Series V: newspaper clippings file, 1948-1963, consists of article concerning the center. Series VI: publications file, 1947-1976, includes advertisements, Asian studies materials, bulletins, calendars, directories, faculty memoranda, Herbert W.K. Fitzroy's publications and memorial lectures, visiting lecturers, research grants, a roster of Virginia-born professors. Series VII: scrapbooks, 1946-1959, contains two scrapbooks with primarily newspaper clippings. The first scrapbook, 1952-1953, entitled "Richmond Area University Center introductory notes," includes newspaper clippings and catalogs from affiliated institutions, correspondence, a magazine, and miscellaneous typed articles and announcements written for the press. The second scrapbook, 1946-1959, entitled "Newspaper publicity," includes clippings and photographs relating to the history of the Center, visiting scholars, adult education programs, conferences, cooperative professorships, and library coordination. Series VIII: photographs contains photographs of the center, employees, and events.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:

Series I: Correspondence, 1956-1963. Series II: Legal file, 1947-1961. Series III: Biographical file, 1960-1969. Series IV: Information file, 1950-1978. Series V: Newspaper clippings file, 1948-1963. Series VI: Publications file, 1947-1976. Series VII: Scrapbooks, 1946-1959. Series VIII: Photographs.