Since first opening its doors in 1872 as Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (VAMC), Virginia Tech has produced scores of alumni whose contributions have bolstered the university’s reputation as a first-class institution across the nation and around the world. These noteworthy alumni are individuals who have
Please note that on individual listings, asterisks denote alumni who attended but did not graduate from Virginia Tech and italics denote alumni who are deceased. The alumni are listed according to graduation year.
Charles N. McBryde (M.S. 1892), son of VAMC President John McLaren McBryde and the first student to receive a graduate degree at Virginia Tech, was one of the discoverers of a serum for the prevention of hog cholera. The serum effected savings of untold millions of dollars. It was prepared and sold by numerous large commercial firms and was used all over the world.
John R. Eoff Jr. (applied chemistry 1904) contributed more to the then-modern knowledge of winemaking than anyone since Louis Pasteur.
Arthur Rosenfeld (horticulture 1904; M.S. 1905) acquired an international reputation as an authority on the production of sugar cane and revolutionized methods of raising it. He held the record for being Tech’s youngest graduate, at the age of 17, for many years.
Thomas K. Wolfe (general agriculture ’14; M.S. ’14) wrote 32 volumes and 200 articles dealing with such topics as soils, fertilizers, and plant breeding. He developed several new strands of wheat and potatoes that yielded more production per acre. He co-authored with another alumnus the textbook Production of Field Crops, which was used in 80 percent of agricultural and mechanical colleges in the United States and Europe.
Wilson B. Bell (biology ’34; M.S. ’35; Ph.D. ’52) co-developed a new vaccine to protect calves against bovine leptospirosis, which had cost livestock raisers throughout the country thousands of dollars daily.
J. R. Hardesty (engineering 1900*) designed "Uncle Sam’s Strong Box," the U.S. bullion depository in Fort Knox, Ky.
J. Ambler Johnston (mechanical engineering 1904) was inspired by the work of famed neo-Gothic architect Ralph Adams Cram to design some of the basics—including quadrangles and the use of Hokie Stone—that are the foundations of Virginia Tech’s current architectural style. He also designed Virginia’s State Office Building in Richmond. Johnston and Douglas Southall Freeman purchased many of the Civil War battlefields around Richmond, which later were given to the National Park Service. Two things bear his name: Virginia Tech’s largest residence hall and a fungus, cylindrochytridium Johnstonii, which was discovered on his estate.
Earl Swensson (architecture ’52; M.S. ’53), founder and chairman of Earl Swensson Associates, designed several famous landmarks in Nashville: Opryland Hotel and Convention Center, the largest non-gambling hotel/convention center in the world; Wildhorse Saloon; and the BellSouth Tower, Tennessee’s tallest building.
Harper Dean (horticulture 1904), a special writer for Country Gentleman and Saturday Evening Post, achieved fame in the field of journalism. In 1922, his story "The Reverend Meddler” in Country Gentleman was made into the movie Go Straight.
Walter J. Biggs Jr. (1906) was a nationally known illustrator for Ladies Home Journal, Cosmopolitan, House & Garden, and other magazines. His status as one of the nation’s foremost illustrators was firmly established with his 1963 election into the Society of Illustrators’ Hall of Fame.
Charlie L. Byrd (business administration ’46*) was an internationally famous, classically trained jazz guitar virtuoso who recorded more than 100 albums and helped introduce the bossa nova to the United States. His records included the million-seller "Jazz Samba” and the Grammy-nominated "Brazilian Soul.” He also wrote scores for films and music for stage productions and made several international trips as a goodwill ambassador for the State Department.
Homer Hickam (industrial and systems engineering ’64) has written several best-selling novels, including Rocket Boys, which was made into the film October Sky. His books often reference his life experiences, which include growing up in a coal-mining town, serving in the U.S. Army during Vietnam, working as an engineer for the U.S. Army Missile Command and NASA, and scuba diving.
Lisa Norris (forestry ’79) received the 1999 Willa Cather Fiction Prize from Helicon Nine Press for her short fiction book, Toy Guns.
Sharyn E. McCrumb (M.A. English ’85) has written 20 novels (as of 2006) that explore culture, especially Appalachian culture, and has won numerous awards for her books, including a Kentucky Colonel honorary title. Several of her novels have made the New York Times best-seller list, and she is the only three-time winner of the Agatha Award. Her books are required reading at more than 25 universities and high schools nationwide.
Michelle Krusiec (theatre arts ’95), the former host of “Travelers” on the Discovery Channel, has made more than 30 guest appearances on primetime television shows. In 2002, Krusiec premiered her original one-woman show, “Made in Taiwan,” at the HBO Aspen Comedy Festival, where Hollywood Reporter named her one of its Top Ten Rising Stars. Krusiec’s performance in the Alice Wu film “Saving Face” garnered her a Best Actress nomination for the Golden Horse award, Asia's equivalent to the American Academy Award.
C. Hunter Carpenter (agricultural engineering 1902; graduate student 1903-04, 1905-06) was the first Virginia Tech player elected to the National Football Hall of Fame. He played fullback on the 1899 and 1900 teams and halfback on the 1901, 1902, 1903, and 1905 teams, serving as captain in 1902. In 1904, he went to the University of North Carolina for a year of law study and played on the UNC football team.
Chi-Tung Sidney Chen (M.S. agriculture and applied economics ’29) was a star athlete in China. He distinguished himself in China as the national titleholder of high and low hurdles, established a record in the Far Eastern Olympics, was the chief pitcher for the Shanghai baseball team, played center on China’s basketball team in the Far Eastern Olympics, and served as captain of the Chinese track team in the 7th Far Eastern Olympics.
Johnny Oates (health and physical education ’68), a catcher signed by the Baltimore Orioles in 1970, played in the Major Leagues until 1981. In 1989, Oates returned to the Orioles as first-base coach and became team manager in 1991. Oates, who won The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award in 1993, left the next year and was hired by the Texas Rangers. In 1996, Oates led the Rangers to their first playoff appearance in team history and won the American League Manager of the Year Award. Oates retired in 2001.
Carroll Dale (vocational and industrial education ’64) was Tech’s first All-American football player. As a professional, he won one NFL championship and two Super Bowl rings. He was elected to the Pro Bowl in 1969, 1970, and 1971, and has been inducted into four halls of fame.
Don Strock (secondary education ’73) played quarterback for Virginia Tech, and in 1972, he led the nation in total passing and total offense. Strock still holds several passing records at Virginia Tech and was inducted into the Virginia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985. Strock played quarterback in the NFL from 1973 through 1989, and spent 14 years (1973-1987) with the Miami Dolphins. On Sept. 13, 2000, Strock was named head football coach at Florida International University—the first in that school’s history—and held the position until the end of the 2006 season.
Frank Beamer (distributive education ’69), head football coach at Tech, directed his players through an undefeated season in 1999 and on to the national championship playoff in the Sugar Bowl, where the Hokies lost to Florida State. Throughout his career, Beamer has earned nine Coach of the Year Awards and the 2004 Humanitarian Award, and won three Big East Conference championships and one ACC championship.
Franklin Stubbs (recreation ’82*) was a Major League Baseball player from 1984-1995. He played first base for the L.A. Dodgers from 1984 through 1989; the team won the 1988 World Series. He later played for the Houston Astros (1990), Milwaukee Brewers (1991-1992), and Detroit Tigers (1995). In 1992, he was elected to the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame
Bruce Smith (general arts and sciences ’85*) played as a defensive end in the NFL for 19 seasons, starting his pro career when the Buffalo Bills took him as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1985. He was with the Bills for 14 seasons, during which he played in four Super Bowls and was elected to the Pro Bowl every year from 1988 to 1999, save for 1992. After the 1999 season, Smith played with the Washington Redskins until his retirement in 2004. Smith, whose Virginia Tech jersey number—78—has been retired, was voted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Vernell “Bimbo” Coles (housing, interior design, and resource management ’90*) was Tech’s first student-athlete to participate in the Olympics, playing point guard on the 1988 U.S. basketball team in South Korea. He is the all-time leading scorer in the Metro Conference with 2,484 points. He played in the National Basketball Association, ending his 14-year career with the Miami Heat after the 2003-04 season, and today is an assistant coach for the Heat.
Dell Curry (sociology ’90) was selected 15th overall in the 1986 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz and played in the league for 16 years. For 10 seasons, Curry played for the Charlotte Hornets. Curry, who earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award after the 1993-94 season, retired from basketball in 2001. In 1998, Curry started the Dell Curry Foundation in Charlotte, N.C.—since renamed the Athletes United for Youth foundation—which helps area youth through skill-based programs and community service projects.
Antonio Freeman (housing and residential management ’95) played in the NFL from 1995 through 2004. The wide receiver was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1995 and played with them until 2001, during which the team played in two Super Bowls and won one. He was also a member of the 1998 Pro Bowl team. In addition to his second stint with the Packers—2003-04, after which he retired—Freeman played for the Philadelphia Eagles. During his career, Freeman had three 1,000-yard receiving seasons. In 2006, Freeman won a Pop Warner Award for his work with youth.
Michael Vick (sociology ’03*) was Virginia Tech’s star quarterback from 1999-2000. During his freshman year, Vick led Tech to its first undefeated season since 1918, culminating with the Hokies’ first-ever national championship game against Florida State University. That season also netted Vick an ESPY Award as the nation's top college player and the first-ever Archie Griffin Award as college football's most valuable player. After his third year at Tech, Vick entered the 2001 NFL draft and was the No. 1 pick, selected by the Atlanta Falcons, making him the first-ever African–American quarterback to be taken first.
Lawrence Priddy (general science 1897) served as president of the National Association of Life Underwriters. A June 30, 1917, story in the Saturday Evening Postcalled him one of the world’s greatest insurance salesmen. He led the fundraising campaign for the World War I Memorial Gymnasium at Virginia Tech.
J.M. Bland (general science 1902) was the first president of Ruritan National, a civic service organization founded in 1928 that today boasts more than 34,000 members across the nation.
Edward Hudson Lane (electrical engineering ’10*) and his father founded the Standard Red Cedar Chest Co., later known as Lane Furniture, in 1912. He played a significant role in the success of the Student Aid Association at Tech. Lane Stadium bears his name.
Benjamin McKelway (general agriculture ’17*) was editor of the Washington Evening Star and president of the Associated Press.
H.C. Groseclose (agricultural education ’23) and W.S. Newman (M.S. agriculture ’19) founded, in 1926, the Future Farmers of Virginia, which evolved into the Future Farmers of America.
Julian Cheatham (business administration ’33) went to work immediately after graduation for the Georgia Hardwood Lumber Company that his brother Owen had started in 1928. Cheatham rose to the ranks of executive vice president and director before retiring in 1975 from the family company, which had grown into one of America's largest corporations, the Georgia-Pacific Corp. Tech’s Cheatham Hall was named in his honor in 1972.
Robert B. Pamplin Sr. (business administration ’33) was chairman of the board and CEO of the Georgia-Pacific Corp. After “retiring” at age 65, he built R.B. Pamplin Corp. into a multi-million-dollar business, along with his son, Robert B. Pamplin Jr., who also attended Tech. The American Academy of Achievement selected Pamplin as “one of 40 giants of accomplishments from the nation’s great fields of endeavor.” In 1969, Tech’s Pamplin Hall was named for him and in 1986, the Pamplin College of Business was renamed to honor father and son.
W. Thomas Rice (civil engineering ’34)began working with the Pennsylvania Railroad immediately after graduation but left to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he was awarded the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters. After the war, although Rice stayed in the Army Reserve—from which he later retired as a Major General—he returned full-time to the railroad business. In 1970, he was elected chairman and CEO of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Company (SCL) of Richmond and its holding company, Seaboard Coast Line Industries. After retiring in 1977, Rice was instrumental in the merger of the SCL with the Chessie System, to form the CSX Corporation. Rice also was selected by the Secretary of Defense to be the nation’s 23rd recipient of the National Transportation Award.
Alfred E. Knobler (ceramic engineering ’37) is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Pilgrim Glass, a company widely known for its cranberry glass and the only maker of American Cameo Glass in the country. Although the company closed in 2002, the glass remains a highly desired collector’s item.
William C. Bixby (electrical engineering ’42) was editor of Look magazine, a weekly, general interest magazine published in the United States from 1937 to 1971 widely viewed as a competitor to Life magazine.
Alexander Giacco (chemical engineering ’42) was CEO and chairman of the board of Hercules Inc., which manufactures and markets chemical specialties used in making products for home, office, and industrial markets. In the 1980s, Giacco was recognized for his leadership role in the chemical industry, including being named twice as one of the 10 Outstanding Chief Executive Officers in United States Industry by The Financial World.
Clifton C. Garvin (chemical engineering ’43; M.S. ’47) served with the U.S. Corps of Engineers in the South Pacific for three years before returning to Blacksburg to earn his master's degree in 1947. Afterward, Garvin went to work for the Exxon Corporation, where he worked his way up from process engineer in the refineries to president of the corporation in 1972. He was selected as its chairman and chief executive officer in 1975 and remained CEO until his retirement in 1986. During Garvin’s tenure, Exxon was the world’s most profitable company.
Clifford A. Cutchins III (accounting ’44) was a member of the Virginia Tech class slated to graduate in 1944 but whose members were called to serve in World War II. After serving as a captain in the U.S. Army in the Pacific Theater, Cutchins returned to Virginia Tech. He began working in the banking industry and rose in the ranks to become chairman and CEO of Sovran Financial Corporation (now part of Bank of America).
Robert B. Delano (animal science ’45) retired as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization that works to enhance and strengthen the lives of rural Americans and to build strong, prosperous agricultural communities.
Thomas L. Phillips (electrical engineering ’47; M.S. ’47) retired as CEO, president, and chairman of the board of Raytheon Co. Under his leadership, Raytheon developed and marketed the first commercial home microwave. Phillips also played a role in the development of two of the company’s guided missile programs.
Willis S. “Pete” White Jr. (electrical engineering ’47) was chairman of the board of Appalachian Power Company, which serves 929,000 customers in West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee and is part of the American Electric Power system.
William D. Wampler (poultry science ’50) is the former president and CEO of Wampler Foods. He served as the president of the National Turkey Federation, the Virginia Angus Association, the Virginia Poultry Federation, and the Virginia Beef Cattle Improvement Association.
William C. Latham (general agriculture ’55) is the president and CEO of Budget Motels, Inc., which he established in 1973 to launch one of the very first Days Inn franchises in the United States. Budget Motels Inc., which provides economy-priced hotels, currently owns and operates eight Days Inns and one Comfort Inn. In 2006, the university dedicated the William C. and Elizabeth H. Latham Agriculture and Life Sciences Building to honor Latham and his wife.
James E. Turner Jr. (agricultural engineering ’56) retired in 2000 as the executive president and chief operating officer of General Dynamics, the nation's largest nuclear submarine builder. Turner applied his education throughout a successful and distinguished 40-year career in management positions with Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Westinghouse, and General Dynamics.
Jack Guynn (industrial engineering ’64) was president of the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank—one of 13 people who set the nation’s economic policy with Alan Greenspan—from January 1996 until his retirement in October 2006. He joined the Atlanta Fed in 1964.
Charles Pryor Jr. (civil engineering ’66; M.S. ’68; Ph.D. ’70) is the president and CEO of electric appliances giant Westinghouse and former president and CEO of Babcok & Wilcox Nuclear Service Company. In 1991, President Francois Mitterand of France presented Pryor with the prestigious Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Merite for developing cooperative business relationships between the United States and France. He was named Virginia’s Outstanding Industrialist of the Year in 1993.
Catherine Woteki (human nutrition and foods M.S. ’72, Ph.D. ’75) is the global director of scientific affairs for Mars Inc. She served as the first female dean of the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University from 2001-05. She also served as the first undersecretary of food safety for the U.S. Department of Agriculture from July 1997 until January 2001.
C.E. Andrews (accounting ’74) is chief financial officer of SLM Corp.—commonly known as Sallie Mae—the nation’s leading provider of student loans and administrator of college savings plans. Andrews joined Sallie Mae in 2003 as executive vice president of accounting and risk management. Before joining Sallie Mae, Andrews worked at Arthur Andersen for 29 years, ultimately serving as global managing partner for Andersen’s audit and advisory services.
John R. Lawson II (geophysics ’75) is president and chief executive officer of W.M. Jordan Co. Inc., the largest construction company based in Virginia with nearly 400 employees. Under Lawson’s leadership, W.M. Jordan Co. has achieved annual revenues exceeding $360 million. Lawson received the Ernst and Young Virginia Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2004. The new Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech has been named for Lawson and his former classmate, Ross Myers.
William J. Madia (Ph.D. chemistry ’75) has been director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) since 2000, serving also as CEO of the laboratory contractor, UT-Battelle, LLC and executive vice president for Battelle’s business with the Department of Energy. In 1999, Madia was named Laboratory Director of the Year by the Federal Laboratory Consortium.
Stephen K. Bannon (urban affairs ’76) is chairman of the board of Genius Products, a leading independent home entertainment distribution company. Prior to joining Genius Products, Bannon sold Bannon & Co., an investment-banking boutique he formed in 1990, to Société Générale in 1998. He is also the former CEO of Biosphere 2.
Ed Clark (horticulture ’77) is president and general manager of the Atlanta Motor Speedway and executive vice president of Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns NASCAR tracks in Atlanta, Charlotte, Bristol, Ft. Worth, Las Vegas, and Sonoma, Calif.
Phil Thompson (M.S. systems engineering ’77) retired from IBM in 2005 as vice president of emerging markets. In 2002, Thompson received the Pinnacle Award during the third annual 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology symposium, recognizing his professional, policy and technical contributions to technology. He was named one of the “50 Top Blacks in Technology” in 2003 during the annual Black Family Technology Awareness Week.
George Nolen (marketing ’78) is president and CEO of Siemens Corp., an electronics and engineering giant with worldwide sales of $96 billion last year. Headquarted in Munich, Germany, Siemens AG has 460,000 employees in more than 190 countries.
David Calhoun (accounting ’79) is chairman & CEO of The Nielsen Company . Previously, Calhoun, who joined GE upon graduation, served as president and CEO of GE Aircraft Engines; president and CEO of Employers Reinsurance Corporation; president and CEO of GE Lighting; and president and CEO of GE Transportation Systems.
Doug Fritz (marketing ’82) is president of Richmond International Raceway. He is also on the board of directors at the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation, and the Richmond Sports Backers. In April 2005, Fritz was named Henrico County Business Leader of the Year.
Bridget Ryan Berman (business administration ’82) is chief executive officer of Giorgio Armani Corporation, the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Giorgio Armani S.p.A. A 20-year veteran of department and designer store retailing, Berman returned to the fashion industry following a stint as vice president and chief operating officer of retails stores for Apple Computer. Previously, Berman worked at Polo Ralph Lauren for 12 years, ultimately as group president of retail.
Jim Buckmaster (biochemistry ’84) is chief executive officer of Craigslist, a centralized network of online urban communities that features free classified ads and forums on multiple topics. In January 2000, Buckmaster was hired by the then-5-year-old company as lead programmer and was promoted to CEO in November 2000.
William Addison "Add" Caldwell (agriculture 1876) was the first student to register at Virginia Tech, known at the time as Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College. Add walked as many as 28 miles from his home in Craig County to Blacksburg to register.
Fred K. Prosser (civil engineering ’11) designed the first Virginia Tech class ring in 1912. The ring he designed, which was for the class of 1911, cost $6-8. Ironically, Prosser later lost his own class ring.
Charles B. D. Collyer (mining engineering ‘19*) established, in 1928, a new record for a trip around the world—23 days and 15 hours. He traveled by monoplane, which he piloted; steamer; and rail. Collyer and a passenger traveled approximately 20,000 miles at an average speed of 800 miles per day. They broke the former record by almost five days. In October 1929, Collyer also established a new east-to-west non-stop flight record by covering the distance from New York to Los Angeles in 24 hours, five minutes, bettering the existing record by two hours. He was killed when his plane crashed in November 1929 while he was attempting to break the west-to-east non-stop flight record.
Mary Brumfield (biology ’23; M.S. ’25) was the first female student to graduate from Virginia Tech. She enrolled in 1921 with four other women as the school’s first coeds but graduated in two years because she was a transfer student. She then enrolled in the master’s program and received a second degree from Tech.
Harry D. Temple (industrial engineering ’34), a colonel who headed the Army’s Institute of Heraldry, designed the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was established by President Kennedy as the highest award the nation bestows on civilians. Temple also designed the coat-of-arms for Tech’s corps of cadets and successfully shepherded the crest through official registration with the U.S. Office of Heraldry.
Marian Spearman Bengel (architectural engineering ’49) was the first woman in Tennessee to become a licensed professional engineer.
Robert F. Titus (mining engineering ’48*), a brigadier general, was the first to fly an aircraft non-stop over the North Pole. He also shot down three MiGs during the Vietnam War, which is considered to be a significant achievement for that conflict.
Irving L. Peddrew III (electrical engineering*) not only was the first black student enrolled at Virginia Tech (in 1953), he was also the first black undergraduate student to go to an historically white public school in the former Confederacy. The only black student on campus his freshman year, he was required to participate in the corps of cadets but had to live and eat off campus. Disillusioned by his experiences, he left at the end of his junior year and did not return. Peddrew-Yates Residence Hall was co-named in his honor in 2003.
William A. Moon Jr. (geology ’55; M.S. ’61) received an Honorary Order of the British Empire, an equivalent of knighthood bestowed by the queen of England on foreign nationals, "in recognition of his contribution to Texaco and the United Kingdom upstream oil and gas industry."
Charlie L. Yates (mechanical engineering ’58) was the first African American to graduate from Virginia Tech and the first African American to graduate from a traditionally white college in the South. Peddrew-Yates Residence Hall was co-named in his honor in 2003.
William W. Lewis Jr. (physics ’63) was Tech’s first Rhodes Scholar and went on to earn a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Oxford in 1966. Lewis has held positions with the Department of Defense, Princeton University, the University of California, the World Bank, and the Department of Energy. He was the founding director of the McKinsey Global Institute of McKinsey and Company, one of the nation's most prestigious and influential management-consulting firms. He also has published regularly in the Wall Street Journal, the International Herald Tribune, and The New York Times.
Kylene Barker Hibbard (clothing, textiles, and related arts ’78) was crowned Miss America in 1979.
Andrea Ballengee Preuss (political science ’95) was crowned Mrs. America in 2005. Preuss, who also holds an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University, currently works as a district sales leader for the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.
Julian Ashby Burruss (civil engineering 1898) was the first Tech alumnus to become president of his alma mater. He served 26 years, longer than any other president in school history. Through his efforts, women were admitted to Virginia Tech, and the military requirement was reduced from four to two years. He was also the first president of the Normal and Industrial School for Women (now James Madison University) in Harrisonburg, Va. Each campus has a Burruss Hall that honors his memory.
Edwin Broun Fred (M.S. agriculture 1907) was president of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. During his 13-year tenure, enrollment tripled, the faculty nearly doubled, the annual operating budget quadrupled, and the university had its biggest building boom in campus history. In 1947, he received the Medal of Merit for his part in the field of biological warfare. At the time, the medal was the highest honor awarded civilians for non-combatant service.
Edwin D. Harrison (M.S. mechanical engineering ’48) was president of Georgia Tech.
Sami Al-Mudhaffar (Ph.D. biochemistry ’67) is the minister of higher education in Iraq, overseeing the revamping of the country’s national educational system. Al-Mudhaffar returned to Iraq after completing his Ph.D. and became a lecturer on the teaching and research faculty in the College of Science at the University of Basrah. He became president of Baghdad University in 2003 but was forced to resign by the minister of higher education at that time. In February 2006, a car bomb hit his convoy, killing one civilian and injuring three others, including two of his bodyguards.
Elsa Murano (food science and technology M.S. ’87, Ph.D. ’90) is the vice chancellor and dean of the Department of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University and director of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. As the undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during part of the George W. Bush administration, Murano was responsible for the oversight and direction for the management of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Mahmoud M’d Abu Quadais (M.S. education administration ’93; Ph.D. ’94) and a colleague founded the Hashemite University in Jordan. Named for the Jordanian king’s family, the university began holding classes in 1995. The first class graduated in 1999. Quadais was the first dean of student affairs.
Mark Embree (mathematics and computer science ’96) became Virginia Tech’s second Rhodes Scholar in 1996. (William W. Lewis Jr. ’63 was the first.) Currently, Embree is assistant professor of computational and applied mathematics at Rice University.
Claude A. Swanson (1877*) was governor of Virginia from 1906-10. He also spent 12 years in the House of Representatives and 23 years in the U.S. Senate. He was secretary of the Navy under President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the time of his death. He was never defeated at the polls in a primary or general election.
William E. Dodd (M.S. general science 1898) was U.S. ambassador to Germany. He disapproved of the Nazis and resigned his post. His article "Germany Shocked Me" appeared in a 1938 issue of The Nation.
Earl J. Shiflet (animal science ’40) was Virginia’s first ever secretary of education under Gov. Linwood Holton and was secretary of commerce and resources under Gov. Mills Godwin.
Thomas W. Moss Jr. (building construction ’50) was speaker of the House of Delegates in the Virginia General Assembly.
S. Vance Wilkins Jr. (industrial engineering ’57) was the first Republican to become speaker of Virginia’s House of Delegates.
Richard T. Crowder (agricultural and applied economics ’60; M.S. ’62) was nominated by President Bush, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and in January 2006 sworn in as the chief agriculture negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, an agency of more than 200 people who negotiate directly with foreign governments to create trade agreements, resolve disputes, and participate in global trade policy organizations.
Timothy Fields Jr. (industrial engineering ’70) is assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. He is the only EPA official to win the prestigious Presidential Rank Award four times. The highest civilian service award available to government employees, it recognizes outstanding leadership of programs that have produced concrete, long-term benefits.
Elizabeth Brownlee Kolmstetter (M.A. psychology ’87; Ph.D. ’91) is deputy assistant administrator for workforce performance and training at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). In 2002, Kolmstetter implemented a post-9/11 Congressional mandate to hire and train a federalized workforce of 55,000 airport security screeners nationwide for the TSA.
Chet Culver (political science ’88), a former scholarship player for the Virginia Tech football team, was elected governor of Iowa in 2006, only the second Democrat to hold that position in the past 30 years. Prior to winning the gubernatorial race, Culver served as Iowa’s 29th secretary of state and, when elected to the post in 1998, was the nation’s youngest secretary of state. He was re-elected to the position in 2002. Culver is the son of former Iowa Senator John Culver.
William E. Wine (mechanical engineering 1904; M.E. 1905) perfected and patented numerous laborsaving devices for railroad work while employed by the Atlantic Coast Line Railway. Later, he became manager of Wine Railway Appliance Co. He was the first alumnus to serve as rector of Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors. The university’s William E. Wine Award for faculty achievement is named for him.
Edward H. Cahill (engineering mechanics 1909*) designed the first mapping camera ever used from an airplane in America in 1915, becoming a pioneer in the design of uniquely American instruments for photogrammetic mapping. He was a vice president of Brock and Weymouth in Philadelphia, and his designs, which were developed by Norman and Arthus Brock, became known as the Brock Process of aerial mapping. His work was placed in the archives of the Smithsonian Institution, the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, and the International Society of Photogrammetry in Enschede, Netherlands.
Robert M. Thomas (chemistry ’29) was the co-inventor of butyl rubber, a synthetic that became famous during World War II. He was awarded the Charles Goodyear Medal by the American Chemical Society’s Division of Rubber Chemists for his co-invention. Thomas is credited with 73 patents.
Benjamin A. Rubin (M.S. biology ’38) invented the bifurcated vaccination needle to deliver tiny amounts of smallpox vaccine. The needle is credited with helping to eradicate smallpox. Rubin created the needle from a sewing machine needle.
Charles O. Gordon (industrial engineering ’42) was co-owner of Tri-City Beverage Company in Johnson City, Tenn., which bottled the first Mountain Dew around 1950. He developed and marketed Dr. Enuf, a vitamin-laced soft drink. He was also the mayor of Johnson City.
Bruce Vorhauer (engineering mechanics ’64) invented the contraceptive sponge, now marketed as the Today Contraceptive Sponge.
James H. Crumley (distributive education ’69; M.S. education, basic studies ’75) has been hailed as the founding father of camouflage—the bark and leaf pattern—clothing for hunters.
Gerald Spessard (M.S. dairy science ‘74) designed GameFace, a facial mask that protects children playing baseball and softball. The product was featured on ESPN Tomorrow and in Baseball America.
Pierre Thomas (communication ’84) – correspondent for ABC news programs since 2000, covering the U.S. Justice Department and law enforcement issues, reporting on "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings" and contributing to "Good Morning America," "This Week," "Nightline," and ABC News special events.
Peggy Fox (communication ’86) is a reporter for the CBS affiliate station WUSA-TV (Channel 6) in Washington, D.C. Fox has won numerous awards, including an Emmy in July 1997 for her news feature, “Playing with Lead,” about toxic lead paint coating on playground equipment in the D.C. area. Fox also stood out during Virginia’s 2006 gubernatorial campaign, when, during a press conference, she asked incumbent Sen. George Allen about his Jewish background. His response was considered one in a series of campaign errors that led to his loss.
Hoda Kotb (communication ’86) has been a “Dateline NBC” correspondent since April 1998 and was named the host of the weekly syndicated series, “Your Total Health,” in September 2004. During that time, she has covered a wide variety of domestic and international stories, including the war in Iraq, the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and the war on terror in Afghanistan. Kotb has been honored with several awards while at NBC, including the 2004 Headliner Award, 2003 Gracie Award, and the 2002 Edward R. Murrow Award.
Julien E. V. Gaujot (1893*) and his brother, Antoine A. M. Gaujot (1900*), both received the Medal of Honor. Stationed at Douglas, Ariz., in 1911, Julien saw several people killed from stray gunfire from across the Mexican border. Infuriated, he rode his horse across the border in the face of the gunfire, halting further bloodshed and leading five Americans to safety. Antoine was recognized for bravery shown at San Mateo, Philippines, in 1899. Under heavy fire, he swam a river and returned to his own forces with a boat, the only means of passage for his forces to pursue insurrectionists.
Major Lloyd Williams (Class of 1907) was a U.S. Marine Corps officer during World War I. He has been attributed with one of the more famous quotes of World War I. When advised to withdraw at the defensive line just north of the village of Lucy-le-Bocage on June 1,1918, he is said to have replied, “Retreat, Hell! We just got here!” Williams did not survive the ensuing battle and was posthumously promoted to major and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Major Williams Hall was named for him in 1957. Williams is the first known Virginian to die in World War I.
Robert C. Macon (mechanical engineering ’12), a major general commanding the 83 rd Infantry Division during World War II, accepted the surrender of German Gen. Maj. Botho Elster and his 18,850 troops and 754 officers near Beaugency, France, in what Life magazine called "one of the largest and most fantastic surrenders in this war.”
Lewis A. Pick (civil engineering ’14) was the engineer in World War II who built the "road that could not be built, the Burma Road (known as Pick’s Pike). Later, he became chief of engineers for the United States Army and attained the rank of lieutenant general.
Earle D. Gregory (electrical engineering ’23*), known as the "Sgt. York of Virginia" by newspapers nationwide, was the first native Virginian to receive the Medal of Honor. At Bois de Consenvoye, France, on Oct. 18, 1918, he single-handedly captured 22 German soldiers and two machine guns, saving countless American lives. The university’s Gregory Guard precision drill team is named in his honor.
James F. Van Pelt Jr. (biology ’40) was the navigator of a B-29 Superfortress in both atomic bomb attacks against Japan at the close of World War II. He navigated the instrument ship in the first attack against Hiroshima, and his airplane dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
Jimmie W. Monteith Jr. (mechanical engineering ’41*) received the Medal of Honor posthumously for courage and gallantry while leading his men in destroying an enemy emplacement on the Normandy beachhead on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Monteith Hall honors his memory.
Herbert J. Thomas (business administration ’41) was awarded the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross posthumously for heroism on the Solomon Islands during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. While leading his troops against Japanese forces, a grenade he tossed bounced back amidst his men. He flung himself across the grenade, sacrificing his own life to save his comrades. While a student at Virginia Tech, he was a nationally recognized varsity football player. A residence hall on campus, a destroyer, and a hospital bear his name.
Richard F. Wilkinson (conservation and forestry ’42) fought in World War II in Company C, 133rd Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry “Red Bull” Division, which campaigned in Africa and Italy and saw more than 500 days of combat—more than any other American division—and lost 21,362 of its men. Wilkinson earned the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and the Presidential Unit Citation, which indicated that each of the 600 men under his command—and their leader—deserved the Distinguished Service Cross. In 2005, Wilkinson published The Breakthrough Battalion: Battles of Company C of the 133rd Infantry Regiment, Tunisia and Italy 1943-1945, which recounts the tales of his division.
Robert F. Femoyer (’44*) was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for heroism in World War II. In action over Germany, he navigated his anti-aircraft-riddled airplane, a B-17 Flying Fortress, to safety in England, saving the lives of his crew even though he was mortally wounded, and in fact refused morphine to stay alert enough to return to base. He died on November 2, 1944, an hour after landing his plane. Feymoyer Hall honors his memory.
Richard Thomas Shea Jr. (Army Specialized Training Program ’48*) received the Medal of Honor posthumously for heroic actions near Sokkogae, Korea. In more than 18 hours of heavy fighting against superior numbers, he moved among the defenders of Pork Chop Hill to ensure a successful defense and then led a counterattack, killing three enemy soldiers and refusing evacuation when wounded. He was killed in hand-to-hand combat while leading another counterattack.
Thomas C. Richards (general business ’56) is one of Tech’s only two four-star generals. He was deputy commander-in-chief of the U.S. European Command, a former commandant of the Air Force Academy, and head of the Federal Aviation Administration. Richards fought in the infantry during the Korean War. He was wounded in action and, while recovering, was recruited to play football at Virginia Tech. He did so as a member of the 1954 team that won all but one game, which ended in a tie with William & Mary.
Lance L. Smith (business administration ’69), formerly the deputy of the command overseeing combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, received his fourth star in November 2005, becoming the second of Tech’s two four-star generals.
Jody Breckenridge (biology ’75) is one of only three women rear admirals in the U.S. Coast Guard.
William Alphonso Murrill (three degrees: agriculture, mechanics, and science 1886), known as "Mr. Mushroom," was a world-renowned botanist and author. His book on fungi varieties was used as a reference in nearly every country in the world. He collected over 75,000 plant specimens, 1,700 of them new to science. He received a gold medal from the Holland Society of New York for distinguished service in the science of mycology.
Charles O. Handley Jr. (biology ’44) was a renowned scientist, author, and teacher who worked for the Smithsonian for 53 years. As curator of mammals at the National Museum of Natural History, he was generally regarded as the world’s foremost expert on Latin American bats. In recognition of his work, several animal species were named for him: a hummingbird, long-tongued bat, mouse possum, pygmy mouse, and wingless bat fly, among others.
Mitchell A. Byrd (forestry and wildlife ’49; M.S. ’49; Ph.D. fisheries and wildlife ’54) heads the Chesapeake Bay Bald Eagle Recovery Team, keeping tabs on peregrine falcons all over the East Coast. He is credited with the return of the falcon and the bald eagle to the mid-Atlantic area.
Gary Norman (M.S. fisheries and wildlife ’80) was awarded the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Henry Mosby Award, one of the highest honors a wildlife biologist can receive, for his key role in restoring wild turkeys in Virginia. The estimated population of turkeys in Virginia climbed from approximately 51,000 to 130,000 birds in the 14 years he has worked with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
David Tucker "Towhead" Brown (agricultural engineering 1902*) was commissioned by President Herbert Hoover in 1930 to go to Panama to work on the Inter-American Highway and was subsequently placed in charge of the work in Central America. Examining 190,000 square miles of territory, he completed the survey of the most practical route from Mexico to Panama City.
Daniel E. Wright (civil engineering 1904) was a member of both the first party of young engineers to work on the Panama Canal and the group making the first trip through the canal from ocean to ocean, andwas the municipal engineer for the entire Isthmus of Panama. The Rockefeller Foundation later appointed him to a special staff of its international health division for assignment in Greece, where he helped the country start a 15-year program of modern municipal improvements. In 1951, the Greek government awarded him a citation and King Paul elected him into the order of Golden Phoenix in appreciation for his work in eliminating malaria in that area from 1944-48. He did sanitation work in 52 countries.
Oren Austin Oliver (electrical engineering 1909) pioneered orthodontic techniques that revolutionized the science, achieving international recognition in orthodontia by developing the lingual and labial arch technique, which applied a complicated system of pressures in a delicate manner over a period of time. According to Town & Country Review, a magazine published in London, "The results in slowly guiding irregularity into regularity . . . are so remarkable and so successful as to appear magical to the uninitiated." Among his numerous national and international awards were a congressional citation and medal for his work in obtaining dentists to examine selective service inductees during World War II and the first certificate ever bestowed by the International Dental Society.
Howard S. Avery (mining engineering ’27) was internationally known in the field of metallurgy. He conducted pioneering work in the areas of precise creep-rupture testing, thermal fatigue evaluation, and carburizing behavior. Two of his technical papers garnered Lincoln Gold Medal awards, and he received the first ever Award of the New York Chapter of the American Society of Metals. In 1995, he donated professional alloy samples, their photomicrographs, and related files to a special collection at Virginia Tech. At the time, the collection was independently appraised at more $400,000.
Dr. James M. Smith Jr. (M.S. chemistry ’36) and his colleagues developed methotrexate as a cancer chemotherapeutic agent. He received at least 22 patents for his inventions and co-inventions.
Robert C. Richardson (physics ’58; M.S. ’60) won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering how helium-3 can transform itself into a liquid that flows without friction at temperatures near absolute zero.
Dr. Sidney C. Smith Jr. (chemical engineering ’63) served as president of the American Heart Association and had, as one of his main projects, the nutritional labeling of food products. He also led the association in establishing its food certification program, wherein foods are labeled as heart-healthy.
Brian Keith Fulton (urban affairs ’89) is vice president of AOL Time-Warner and former associate director of the National Urban League. He was recognized by Ebony magazine in 1991 as one of the "30 Leaders of the Future" and by the Discovery Channel in 1996 as a "Contemporary Leader." He received a Computerworld Smithsonian Award for technology innovation, the highest information technology honor for a civilian, and his work was accepted into the archives of the Smithsonian Institution.
Christopher C. Kraft Jr. (aerospace engineering ’45) did much of the pioneering work for the country’s manned space program. As director of flight operations at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, he was responsible for landing men on the moon and returning them safely to Earth. In 1972, he became director of the center, later renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. He has been called “a true pioneer in all of the United States manned programs for exploring the vast reaches of space.”
John B. "Jack" McKay (aerospace engineering ’46) was one of the first seven pilots selected to fly the X-15 for NASA. He achieved astronaut status for taking it to an altitude of 56 miles and a speed of 398 mph. In 1995, George Allen, then the governor of Virginia, declared a John B. McKay Day in honor of his contributions to the space industry.
Floyd Bennett (aerospace engineering ’54) was chief of the landing analysis branch of the Manned Spacecraft Center. He designed the landing trajectory for the Apollo 15 moon expedition of July 1970, and a hill on the moon was named for him in recognition of his work. Bennett Hill is a high point in the Hadley-Apennine descent area that was used as a landmark for the landing module Falcon.
Roger K. Crouch (M.S. physics ’68; Ph.D. ’71) twice served as the scientific astronaut with the Columbia space shuttle in 1997. Now he is the lead scientist for the NASA office that selects and funds the scientific experiments on the shuttles and on the International Space Station. On one mission, he carried a Virginia Tech banner into space.
Robert E. “Bob” Castle Jr. (electrical engineering ’76; M.S. ’78) is the flight director in Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. He has directed over 25 space shuttle missions either as the flight director or the mission operations director, including the lead work on the first space shuttle mission to dock with the Russian Mir space station and the first shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). He led preparations for the space shuttle mission “5A” that carried the U. S. laboratory module Destiny into orbit in 2001. NASA presented him with its Stellar Award for his outstanding leadership in the development of the flight control team operations concept and Russian interfaces to support the ISS.
Charlie Camarda (Ph.D. aerospace engineering ’90) flew on the space shuttle Discovery in July 2005, the first flight to be launched after the Columbia disaster.