Julian Ashby Burruss was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1876. He was the first alumnus-President, having graduated with honors in civil engineering from VPI in 1898. A hallmark of his long tenure in the presidency was a major administrative reorganization, which included: abolishing four deanships; broadening the scope and authority of the Deans of Agriculture and Engineering; establishing post of Dean of the College; abolishing College surgeon office and hiring full-time health officer; establishing office of business manager; placing directors of Agriculture Experiment Station and Extension Services under Dean of Agriculture; abolishing Registrar office; and placing athletic activities directly under control of college authorities.

Other highlights of Burruss' administration included: establishment of Engineering Experiment Station, 1921, and Engineering Extension Division, 1923; admittance of women to all departments, except military, 1921; founding of Future Farmers of Virginia, which became Future Farmers of America; first Ph.D. awarded; Radford State Teachers College merged with VPI and became Radford College, the Women's Division of VPI.

When mounting pressures and advancing age began to take a toll on Burruss, the Board of Visitors granted him a six-month leave of absence on 4 January 1945, and named John Hutcheson, Director of the Agriculture Extension Service, as Executive Assistant to the President. On 10 January 1945, Burruss suffered a fractured vertebrae in an automobile accident, so on 12 January, the Rector of the Board requested that Hutcheson assume the duties of the presidency immediately. At the Board meeting on 15 May, Burruss was elected "President Emeritus" and the search for a new president began. Burruss died two years later.