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This is the first of four features as Virginia Wesleyan bids farewell to this year's retirees.
by Jason Nemcosky '07
Dr. Stephen Mansfield, the current Vice President for Academic Affairs and Kenneth R. Perry Dean of the College, will become Director of Archives at Virginia Wesleyan for the next two years, effective July 1.
"Every college aspires to have an archive," Mansfield said. "We are fortunate at Wesleyan that we can take advantage of our youth."
There are currently materials stored in the library that need protecting.
"We've never really had the luxury of staff who devote their time to protecting those materials," Mansfield said. Come July, that will be his job.
Mansfield will move into the library for this new position. "Of the eight offices I have had, five will have been in the library," Mansfield said. "In a way, I'm coming home!"
Mansfield's days will consist of organizing and pulling together materials that have been assembled and stored for the long term. He will receive a shipment of acid-free storage materials, such as boxes and file folders that can be used to store the materials.
"Part of the challenge is for me to preserve and organize materials," Mansfield said. "Once they are assembled, it will be easier for me to accommodate questions [about the school's history]."
Mansfield is already an expert on the local area, as he has a book published about the history of Virginia Beach.
"I get several calls a week asking for information on the history of Hampton Roads," Mansfield said. He also routinely gets requests for interviews or speaking engagements.
This position will also help Mansfield in another area. With one book down, he is planning to write another one, this time on the history of Virginia Wesleyan. He will be able to take a lot of notes during the archival process that will aid him in his writing.
"I hope to at least make quite a bit of progress in two years," Mansfield said.
He hopes to have the book finished by 2011, which will be the 50th anniversary of the chartering of Virginia Wesleyan. (The College received its charter in 1961.)
Mansfield said that Virginia Wesleyan is at a pivotal point, since the founders of the College have either passed away or are going to retire. That is why it is so important to be able to preserve the history of the school.
"It's a chance to gather materials that may have otherwise been lost," Mansfield said.
The new position will be a big change for Mansfield.
"I'm more on my own time," Mansfield said. "I'm able to control my own schedule. There's more planning without the interruptions that are part of being the dean."
Although he will step down as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, Mansfield will still very much be a part of the Virginia Wesleyan community.
"I'll still be on campus," Mansfield said. "I'll be in a position to watch its growth with great interest."
After the next two years are over, Mansfield plans to volunteer with the archive.
"An archive never stops," Mansfield said. "There's always opportunity to volunteer time down the road."
The Virginia Wesleyan community wishes Dr. Stephen Mansfield the best of luck in his new endeavor.