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[Identification of item], John Preston McConnell Personal Papers, Radford University Archives, McConnell Library, Radford University, Radford, VA. John Preston McConnell - Personal Papers, Accession # RU 2.1.2, University Archives, McConnell Library, Radford University
No additional accruals are expected.
Processed by Jim Gilson, Aaron Spelbring, and Gene Hyde, c. 2000-2009. Additional updating and conversion of finding aid by Gene Hyde and Kim Moore, 2009-2010.
John Preston McConnell was born in Scott County, Virginia in February, 1866. He received his A.B. (Bachelor's) and A.M. (Master's) degrees from Milligan College in Milligan, Tennessee. After receiving his Ph.D in History from the University of Virginia, he was a professor and Dean at Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia. In 1911, he was appointed as the first president of the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Radford, present-day Radford University. He retired in November, 1937 because of failing health.
In addition to his duties as president of the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Radford and the successor Radford State Teachers College, Dr. McConnell was involved in a variety of civic, commercial, philanthropic, and religious activities. Among the organizations of which McConnell served as president were the Cooperative Education Association of Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Inc. (a regional Chamber of Commerce), and the First and Merchants National Bank. He was an active member in several Virginia governmental concerns as well as the state and national Anti-Saloon League, the state and national Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Bankers Association, the Christian Church and the Disciples of Christ. He also maintained correspondence with a number of private citizens on a wide range of topics.
Contains the personal papers of John Preston MConnell during his presidency of the Radford State Teachers College (formerly known as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women) from 1913 to 1937.The files are in alphabetical order by subject, and reflect orginal order of the files. Specific topics and materials include information on various people such as Landon C. Bell, Daniel Boone, the Honorable Nathan W. Hale, and Senator George W. Layman. As well as information on or about various members of the McConnell family such as the children of J.P McConnell: June McConnell Graybeal, Annie McConnell Grigsby, Carl McConnell,and John Paul McConnell or his wife Clara Lucas McConnell.
Various information on regions of the state of Virginia that Dr. McConnell was associated with are also present including, but not limited to, Scott County, Radford and Elk Creek, Va. Various organizations associated with McConnell represented in this collection such as Farmers and Merchants National Bank of Radford, Milligan College, First Christian Church of Radford, Disciples of Christ, Cooperative Eductional Association of Virginia, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Virginia Bankers Association, Virginia Commission on Interracial Cooperation, Virginia State Chamber of Commerce, Virginia State Conservation and Development Commission and Virginia Sunday School Association are also present in his personal papers. This collection is classified as Group 2: President's Office Records, Series 1: Subseries 2.
Related Materials
Southwestern Virginia, Inc. Collection
Box 1: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 2: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 3: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 4: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 5: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 6: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 7: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 8: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 9: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 10: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 11: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 12: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 13: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 14: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 15: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 16: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 17: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Boxes 18-22: Removed from this collection and set up as the Southwestern Virginia, Inc. Collection (AS 024)
Box 23: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 24: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 25: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 26: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 27: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 28: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 29: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2
Box 30: McConnell Personal Papers 2.1.2