The collection is open to research.
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Christiansburg [Virginia] Industrial Institute Historical Documents, Ms91-033, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Some of this collection has been digitized and is available online.
The Christiansburg Industrial Institute (CII) was founded in 1866 in Cambria (now Christiansburg), Virginia, by Civil War Union Captain Charles S. Shaeffer as a private primary school for black children. Through the support of the Friends Freedmen's Association in Philadelphia (a Quaker organization), Shaeffer received financial backing for the school. In 1896 Booker T. Washington molded the program to one that would emphasize technical training for blacks. A 185-acre farm was purchased as the school's campus in 1898. In 1934 the Montgomery County School Board began its management of the school. CII was converted in 1947 to a regional high school for blacks, and closed in 1966 when the local schools were integrated.
The Christiansburg [Virginia] Industrial Institute Historical Documents consist of photocopied historical documents about the school, its history, and the alumni association. Many of the materials are from the Edgar A. Long papers (Long served as principal of the school from 1905 to 1924), and include Long's handwritten drafts of lectures, writings, speeches, sermons, and lessons. Also included are copies of the 1902-03 and 1925-26 catalogs and the 1908 annual report. "Poems for Children and Letters," compiled by Nerissa Long Milton, "Married Life" compiled by Dora E.W. Spratt, and "Art Letters and Poetry of Audrey Long Whitlock", compiled by Amanda De Hart, are part of the alumni records. The bulk of the material was compiled under the title "Christiansburg Industrial Institute History and the Edgar A. Long Papers, 1866-1986" by Mrs. Amanda Edwin De Hart, archivist and historian for the CII alumni association.
The collection is arranged according to subject matter.
The guide to the Christiansburg [Virginia] Industrial Institute, Historical Documents by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).