John
Preston McConnell Library
Radford,
Virginia
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Radford
University’s library was named in honor of Dr. John Preston
McConnell, Radford’s first president. The library is a testament
to his undying quest for excellent facilities on Radford’s
campus and a career marked by efforts to ensure equal access to
information, courses and materials for female students. Groundbreaking
ceremonies were held on June 22, 1931 with Amanda Myers, president
of the summer student body, removing the first shovelful of earth.
The library was completed during the 1931-32 session and formally
christened the John Preston McConnell Library at the June 1932
commencement. Today the library’s collection contains more
than 297,000 volumes.
Born
on February 22, 1866, Dr. McConnell was a native of Scott County,
Virginia. He received his Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees
from Milligan College and his Doctorate degree from the University
of Virginia. On October 3, 1911, at the age of 45, Dr. John Preston
McConnell was appointed president of The State Normal and Industrial
School for Women at Radford — now known as Radford University.
For the next two years, while teaching at Emory and Henry College
and serving as its dean, he worked part time with a ten-member
board of supervisors organizing the new school, planning the administration
building, and supervising details of its construction, all without
compensation. The school’s first session was held in the
fall of 1913.
In
1924 the school’s name was changed to Radford State Teachers
College and in 1944 was changed to Radford College. In 1972, after
almost 60 years as an all-women’s college, Radford became
coeducational. University status was granted by the General Assembly
in 1979.
Text
© 1996 Dianne Harrah, Drawing © 1996 Bill Harrah.
RADFORD
UNIVERSITY (Click on an image to see the actual
notecard size)
