Interviewer: As a former president of RBC, tell us about your dissertation on the history of the school.
Dr. McNair: Well, when I first came to Richard Bland in 1968, it was my idea that I needed to find out a little bit about how this college got started, who was responsible for it, and what the political forces behind it were. There was Colonel Daniel Davis from the Air Force, Captain Sullenberger from the Navy, and Captain Young from the Army.
By 1979, when I was working on the dissertation, I said this is going to be a great topic for me to pursue. You can imagine that I thought I had really come to a military organization, but I think I was fascinated by the fact that this very property was [a farm] prior to the Civil War.
During the Civil War, there were two major battles fought here on the grounds: Globe Tavern and the Weldon Railroad. The Weldon Railroad [unclear] held by the Union during the siege. This was Union-occupied property during that particular time. Part of the Weldon Railroad is located on the other side of [Ernesto/unclear].
Later on, it became a dairy farm. That’s when the houses and the pecan groves were built.
Then later on, it became part of Central State Hospital for handicapped African American students.
Then it closed in ’59, and I said that is quite a history. So I began to delve into that and looked to see what the political factors affecting it were. That was really the title of my dissertation — the political factors and the interplay between Hopewell, Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and the surrounding counties: Prince George, Dinwiddie, and Chesterfield. As a result of that, I saw the beginnings of the college and began to write about it.
Interviewer: You recently visited RBC and gave a talk about the school’s history. What was that experience like, talking about the school’s past with students of today?
Dr. McNair: Well, I think most of them had never heard of some of the early beginnings of the college. This all began in Hopewell. In fact, there was a college in Hopewell that preceded Richard Bland.
They were successful in using space in old Hopewell High School at night. In the first year, in 1959, Hopewell College had 175 students.
That college in Hopewell lasted only for about five years because it had no property, no accreditation, and only adjunct faculty. It was only being taught at night in the old Hopewell High School and had no real financial support.
As a result of that, people in Petersburg — particularly W. Roy Smith and Frank Ernst, who was the president of Allied Chemical, although he lived in Petersburg and worked in Hopewell — began to push for a college in this area. That’s how Richard Bland really got started during that era, 1959–1960.
Interviewer: Thank you, Dr. McNair, for talking with us on Inside RBC TV.
Dr. McNair: Well, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here.
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As a former president of RBC tell us about your
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dissertation on the history of the school. Well, when I
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first came to Richard Bland in 1968, it was
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my idea that I needed to find out a little bit about how
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this colleague got started and who was responsible for
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it. And what were the political forces behind it.
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There was Colonel Daniel Colonel Davis from the Air Force
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captain sullenberger from the Navy and Captain
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Young from the Army.
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And then By 1979 when I was
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working on the dissertation that we've been married I said
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this is going to be a great topic for me to pursue you
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can imagine that. I thought I had really come to a military.
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Organization, but I think I was fascinated by
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the fact that this very property was foreign
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prior to the Civil War.
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That during the Civil War there were two major battles fought here
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on the grounds Globe Tavern and the welding railroad.
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Well in railroad Supply lease proofs held
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by the union during the season. This
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was Union occupied property during
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that particular time part of the welding railroad
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is located on the other side of Ernesto.
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And then later on it became a dairy farm. That's when
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the houses and the pecan grows were built.
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And then later on it became part of Central State to
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hospital for handicapped African-American students.
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And then it closed in 59 and I said
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that is quite a history. So I began to delve into
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that and and looked at see what were the
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political factors affecting and that was really the title of my
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dissertation was the political factors that the interplay
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between Hopewell Petersburg Colonial
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Heights in the county surrounding counties Prince
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George's dinwiddy and Chesterfield and as a
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result of that I saw the beginnings of the college and
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began to write about it.
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You recently visited RBC and gave
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a talk about the school's history. What was that experience
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like talking about the school's past with students
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of today? Well, I think it most of
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had never heard of some of the early beginnings of
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the college.
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6 this all began in Hopewell.
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And in fact that there was a a college
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in Hopewell that preceded Richard
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Bland.
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And they were successful in using space
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in hopeful. How old Hopewell High
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School at night.
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And the first year in 1959 Hopewell
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College had
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175 students.
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And that College in Hopewell lasted only
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for about five years because it had
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no property that had no accreditation. It
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had only adjunct faculty. He was
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only being taught at night in in the Old Hopewell High
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School and had no really financial support.
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As a result of that people in Petersburg, particularly W
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Roy Smith and Frank Ernst
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who was the president of Allied chemical although he
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lived in Petersburg. Although he worked in Hopewell. He
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began to push for a college in
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this in this area and that's how Richard Bland really got
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started during that era 1959 1960.
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Thank you, Dr. McNair for talking with us on inside
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RBC TV. Well, thank you so much for the opportunity
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to be here.
HISTORY OF RBC
POLITICAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE ESTABLISHMENT AND GROWTH OF RICHARD BLAND COLLEGE IN VIRGINIA 1958-1972 by DR. JAMES B. MCNEER
The need for a two-year college in Southside Virginia was enhanced by the interest of and support generated by The College of William and Mary. Even though William and Mary was not the first four-year institution approached by interested citizens in the Petersburg area, it was the one that agreed to support a local branch college. The establishment of Richard Bland by William and Mary would serve as a base for William and Mary exerting an influence on the direction of higher education in Virginia, reaching from south of Richmond to the North Carolina line and east to the Atlantic Seaboard. This political goal of William and Mary coincided with the desire of certain citizens in the Petersburg area to make available to high school graduates an inexpensive, state-supported, commuter institution near their homes. Only Virginia State College, a four-year, black, state-supported institution existed in Southside Virginia at the time of the creation of Richard Bland College.
Born of Innovation 1960
Richard Bland College (RBC), Virginia’s selective, two-year, residential, liberal arts transfer institution, was born through innovation. In 1959, years before the Virginia Community College system was imagined, Frank Ernst – a Gateway region native, entrepreneur, and retired executive of Hopewell’s Allied Chemical Plant – proposed the creation of an institution grounded in the liberal arts tradition with opportunities for specialized training in in-demand fields such as engineering to the State Council of Higher Education. After discussions with Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia, Ernst found a willing partner in the College of William & Mary, the second-oldest university in the United States, who founded Richard Bland College in 1960. RBC has since offered multiple certificates and university-parallel two-year degrees.
By attending Richard Bland College and earning an Associate Degree, you will have completed the first two years toward the Baccalaureate Degree.
Richard Bland College has guaranteed transfer agreements with four-year colleges and universities across the Commonwealth that will enhance your educational opportunities. The Board of Visitors of William & Mary has authorized Richard Bland College to confer Associate degrees designed for transfer to four-year institutions in Virginia and throughout the United States.
Four-Year Transfer Partners
Richard Bland College prepares students for transfer to highly-ranked colleges and universities. RBC has guaranteed transfer agreements with 35-plus institutions throughout Virginia that enables you to seamlessly transfer to earn your bachelors degree.
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