    EXHIBIT
    FINDING
A WOMAN'S PLACE AT VIRGINIA TECH 1921-2021

EDIT PER EXHIBIT In this exhibit you can explore the different phases of Solitude’s history. We begin during the period when this place was indigenous land, and go on to explore its history as a slave plantation in the nineteenth century.

A SPACE TO LEAD—WOMEN IN UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP

“Young women, just as much as young men, need to be educated to know thoroughly their own society because of the unequal pressures that society places upon women today is competition for satisfaction and success. They need to understand the world’s forces, what is behind those forces, what it takes to change them, and what are the predictable trends.”
  
--Dr. Laura Jane Harper, Founders Day Speech 1980
  
“If we dedicate ourselves to providing equal academic opportunities for women on VPI's faculty and in the administration of its programs of study, that difference in our educational environment can be VIP's outstanding achievement of the next twenty years.” 
  
--Dr. Laura Jane Harper, 1985

Five women who have influenced the academic growth and/or professional opportunities for other women at Virginia Tech are discussed in this exhibit. They are: Dr. Mildred Tate, Dr. Laura Jane Harper, Dr. Sandra Sullivan, Dr. Peggy Meszaros and Dr. Karen DePauw.
  
Dr. Mildred Tate served as the administrator to female students from 1937-1947. By 1942, she was given the title dean of women. She also served as head of the Home Economics department until her retirement in 1958. In addition, Dr. Tate was instrumental in the construction of Hillcrest Hall. 
 
Dr. Tate was known for encouraging students, challenging young women to believe in themselves and carving out opportunites for women at Virginia Tech during her tenure in university leadership.

Dr. Mildred Tate talking with co-eds on their first day of school, 1955

Dr. Laura Jane Harper

Dr. Laura Jane Harper became the dean of the College of Home Economics in 1960, making her the first female academic dean in the university’s history. Harper worked at Virginia Tech for over thirty years and influenced the lives of countless students. She also impacted the physical space at Virginia Tech in two ways. First, she obtained approval for the construction of Wallace Hall. Second, Harper Hall is named for her. 

Former student, Ida Powell, said about Harper, “the woman was wise. She was brilliant.” Mary Biggs, who graduated in 1973, recalled that Harper had students read Betty Friedan’s The Femine Mystique. Many former students referred to Dr. Harper as a mentor. Dorothy Herndon fondly recalled, “Dr. Harper...set high standards and she would challenge you.”

The 1980s saw more women taking on leadership roles on campus. In 1982, Sandra Sullivan became the first woman to hold a university-wide executive position when she was appointed vice president of Student Affairs. 

Dr. Sandra Sullivan

From 1993 to 1994, Dr. Peggy Meszaros served as dean of the College of Human Resources at VT and from 1994 to 2000 served as senior vice president and provost. As provost, Meszaros became the highest-ranking female in the history of Virginia Tech. 

Dr. Peggy Meszaros

Dr. Karen DePauw

In 2002, Virginia Tech hired Dr. Karen P. DePauw as graduate dean and vice provost of Graduate Studies. With this appointment, DePauw became the first openly gay administrator on campus. In January 2020, DePauw announced her intention to retire from her current position as vice president and dean for Graduate Education. In her twenty years at Virginia Tech, Dr. DePauw has influenced student life by establishing the Graduate Life Center (GLC) and worked to build a diverse community of graduate students. 