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.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Edmund Welch Hobbs Scrapbook, Ms1974-013, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Edmund Welch Hobbs Scrapbook was donated to Special Collections in 1974.

Processing Information

The processing and description of the Edmund Welch Hobbs Scrapbook commenced and was completed in January 2013.

Biographical Note

Edmund Welch Hobbs, son of Freeland and Ethel M. Hobbs, was born on September 4, 1910. The 1931-1932 catalog for Virginia Polytechnic Institute lists him as a junior and a resident of Norfolk, Virginia. While a student at the university, Hobbs partnered with Geraldine Fox in operating the Fox-Hobbs Dance Studio in Blacksburg. Though he was a member of the class of 1932, majoring in mechanical engineering, Hobbs seems not to have graduated with his class. Items in the scrapbook, however, suggest that Hobbs may have returned to school in 1937, and he appears in Virginia Tech alumni directories.

Hobbs married Helen Elizabeth Lynch, daughter of Daniel A. and Helen Lynch of Salem, Virginia, on December 31, 1931. The couple would have one child before divorcing in 1940. The 1940 census shows Hobbs living in the Norfolk home of his parents. Alumni directories indicate that he had moved to southern California by 1974. Edmund Welch Hobbs died in El Cajon, California on January 1, 1993.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of a single scrapbook maintained by Edmund Welch Hobbs, a member of Virginia Polytechnic Institute's Class of 1932. Focusing largely on events at Virginia Tech during Hobbs' years as a student at the university, the scrapbook contains photographs of campus scenes, "rat parades," "scrubbing numerals," student groups and individuals; signatures and sentiments of schoolmates; membership cards; dance cards; event programs; and newspaper clippings. The scrapbook also contains snapshots from 1960s banquets of the Virginia Tech Southern California Alumni Chapter.

Also included are materials relating to Hobbs' personal life and post-collegiate activities, including gallery passes for the United States Senate and House of Representatives; materials from the 1955 Longwood College graduation of Jeanne Lynch Hobbs and the marriage of Hobbs' sister, Ethel Inez Hobbs; and souvenirs from Hobbs' membership in the Order of DeMolay.

Separated Material

The following item, which had been stored loosely at the back of the scrapbook, was removed to be cataloged for the Rare Books Collection:

Views. [S.l., s.n., ca. 1930]. (cover title: Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Virginia )

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Students and alumni
• University History
• Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (1896-1944)

Rights Statement for Archival Description

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