Virginia Commonwealth University Timeline*:
Development, Diversity, and Equity in Central Virginia
*this is an active document, soliciting updated contributions at [email protected]
1607- Jamestown founded, Powhatan Confederacy unites roughly 30 tribal communities of
Tsenacommacahi, including the area around present-day Richmondii
1620- Census of Virginia plantations records presence of seventy-five Africans, most likely indentured
servants, some of whom lived to achieve their freedomiii
1622- Some members of Powhatan Confederacy participate in “Indian Uprising”iv
1705- General Assembly declares slaves all those not born into Christianity in their native lands,
including Africans, American Indians and those of mixed heritagev
1716- College of William and Mary establishes Indian School, a small number of Powhatan men attend,
but are excluded by Anglican societyvi
1789- Isaiah Isaacs founds Beth Shalome, Richmond’s first synagoguevii
1834- Richmond’s population reaches about 20,000, including 8,000 slaves working in milling, tobacco,
and iron industriesviii
1838- Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College formed in Richmondix
1854- Reconstituted as Medical College of Virginia (MCV)x
1859- John Brown hanged following failed slave rebellion in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia; MCV
enrollment grows as white Virginians studying medicine in the North return to Virginia, seeking a
less hostile climatexi
1860- MCV becomes a state institutionxii
1863- Medical College Hospital publishes increase in weekly charges, ($15.00-$20.00 per week for
White patients and $12.00 per week for African American patients)xiii
1867- MCV, City of Richmond, and Freedman’s Bureau open outpatient clinic for the “sick poor,” both
White and “Colored”xiv
1895- Sadie Cabaniss organizes nurse training program, precursor to VCU nursing programxv
1917- To help war effort, MCV agrees to admit women to all programsxvi
1920- MCV opens St. Philip Hospital for African American patients, to relieve overcrowding at
Memorial, but only grants White physicians attending privileges there; St. Philip School of
Nursing opens, trains 600 African American nurses before closing in 1962xvii
1927- MCV forms a women’s basketball team; and nursing students enjoy greater participation in
academic life; but still under strict, gender-specific regulationsxviii
1939- Renamed Richmond Professional Institute of the College of William and Mary (RPI)xix
1951- Jean Harris enrolls at MCV, first African American studentxx
1954- Grace Harris denied admission to RPI School of Social Work based on race, studies at Boston
University insteadxxi
1954- As a result of years of legal battle (including the Virginia segregation case Davis v. Board of
Education of Prince Edward County), on May 14, Chief Justice Warren delivers the opinion of
the U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education, stating that “in the field of public
education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place”xxii
1962- RPI breaks from College of William and Maryxxiii
1967- U.S. Supreme Court repeals The Racial Integrity Act in the case Loving v. Virginia.
African Americans, American Indians, and anyone else previously classified as “colored” are
now able to marry whom they choose. Virginia Indians are able to change their birth certificates
to accurately show American Indian heritage, for a fee.xxiv
1968- MCV and RPI merge to form Virginia Commonwealth Universityxxv
1970- Jim Elam becomes first African American student body president, running on equitable treatment
for students, outreach to Oregon Hill (which had been up in arms over VCU’s plans to acquire it
for expansion), “student input on curriculum, more minority professors, and establishment of
Afro-American studies program.”xxvi
1972- Congress passes Title IX legislation, women’s college sports grow at VCU and nationallyxxvii
1976- Federal Appeals Court orders VCU to recognize Gay Alliance of Students as a campus
organizationxxviii
1990- VCU President Eugene Trani pledges to Oregon Hill residents not to expand into their
neighborhood, instead acquires properties on Broad Streetxxix
2003- Asian American Society of Central Virginia and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce host
International dinner at Science Museum of Virginiaxxx
2004- Carver-VCU Partnership creates community center, annual health and housing fair, neighborhood
documentation project, and VCU student teacher programxxxi
2009- Virginia Commonwealth University’s full time faculty is approximately 78% White, 9% Asian,
5% Black/African American, 3% International, 2% Hispanic/Latino, and .4% American
Indian/Alaskanxxxii
2010- Virginia Commonwealth University enrolls 31, 752 students, of whom 57% percent are White,
17% are African American, 11% are Asian, 5% are Hispanic, 5% have chosen not to report, and
4% are Internationalxxxiii
2012- City of Richmond estimated population reaches about 210,000, of whom (based on 2010 total
population estimates) 50% are Black/African American, 40% are White, 6% are Latino/Hispanic,
2% are Asian, 2% are two or more races, and .4% are Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/American
Indian/Alaska Nativexxxiv
2014
Grace Harris, after returning to RPI for a Master’s in Social Work (granted 1960), becomes RPI
faculty member (1967), dean (1982), provost (1993), VCU interim president (1995), and current
faculty leader of Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute. xxxv
References
Asian American Society of Central Virginia (2010). Milestones. Retrieved from
http://www.aasocv.org/milestones.html
Board of Visitors. (2011). Virginia Commonwealth University: Quest for Distinction 2011-2017.
Bonis, R., Koste, J., & Lyons, C. (2006). The Campus History Series: Virginia Commonwealth
University. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing.
College of William and Mary. (n.d.). Historic Chronology of William and Mary. Retrieved from
http://www.wm.edu/about/history/chronology/1700to1749/index.php
Hantan, J., & Leffler, P. (2001). To seek the peace of the city: Early Jewish settlement in Charlottesville.
Retrieved from https://www2.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/seek/early.html
National Park Service. (n.d.). The Powhatan Indian World. Retrieved from
http://www.nps.gov/jame/historyculture/the-powhatan-indian-world.htm
Kupperman, K. (2007). The Jamestown Project. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Quaide, R. National Park Service. (n.d.). Colonization. In A National Register of Historic Places Itinerary.
Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/jamesriver/colonization.htm
Richter, D. (2001). Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America. Cambridge:
Harvard University Press.
U.S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts. (2014). Retrieved from
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/5167000lk.html
United States Courts. History of Brown v. Board of Education. Retrieved from http://www.uscourts.gov/
Virginia Tourism Corporation (2011). Hispanics and Latinos in Virginia. Retrieved from
http://www.virginia.org/hispanicsandlatinosinvirginia/
i
Richter (2001)
ii
Quaide (n.d.)
iii
Kupperman (2007)
iv
Ibid.
v
Ibid.
vi
College of William and Mary (n.d.)
vii
https://www2.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/seek/early.html
viii
Bonis, et al. (2006)
ix
Ibid.
x
Ibid.
xi
Ibid.
xii
Ibid.
xiii
Ibid.
xiv
Ibid.
xv
Ibid.
xvi
Ibid.
xvii
Ibid.
xviii
Ibid.
xix
Ibid.
xx
Ibid.
xxi
Ibid.
xxii
United States Courts
xxiii
Ibid.
xxiv
National Park Service (n.d.)
xxv
Bonis, et al. (2006)
xxvi
Ibid.
xxvii
Ibid.
xxviii
Ibid.
xxix
Ibid.
xxx
Asian American Society of Central Virginia (2010)
xxxi
Ibid.
xxxii
Board of Visitors (2011)
xxxiii
Ibid.
xxxiv
U.S. Census Bureau (2014)
xxxv
Bonis, et al. (2006)