Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Benjamin Cottrell Papers must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Benjamin Cottrell Papers, Ms1994-035, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection was acquired by Special Collections in 1972.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Benjamin Cottrell Papers was completed in September 2013.

Biographical Note

Benjamin Cottrell graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1916 with a bachelors in Civil Engineering. He spent most of his life working in railroad and highway development in South America. He was a member of the VPI Alumni Century Club. Cottrell died in 1972.

Scope and Content

This collection contains the papers, photographs, diplomas, certificates, correspondence, and scrapbooks of Benjamin Cottrell. Cottrell graduated from VPI in 1916 and spent his career working as a highway and railroad engineer in Costa Rica and Bolivia. Much of the newspapers, scrapbooks, photographs, and other papers in the collection relate to his work abroad. Other materials relate to his activities as a VPI alumnus.

Arrangement

The collection is organized by material type.

Subjects:

• University Archives
• Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute