Dr. Stephen Mansfield creates College archives, writes first book on the history of Virginia Wesleyan College and relives his experience through the history.
There's an awfully big space on the second floor of the Hofheimer Library full of books, newspaper clippings, yearbooks, catalogs and endless amounts of paper.
One could get lost, overwhelmed or even lonely in the paper shuffle.
But not Dr. Stephen Mansfield, director of the College archives.
Mansfield is right at home with the archives and his office – his fifth one in the library since he came to Virginia Wesleyan almost 40 years ago. He retired last summer as Vice President for Academic Affairs and is organizing the College's archives and writing a book on the history of the College, due out in time for Wesleyan's 50th anniversary in 2010.
"As a historian and long-time member of the campus community, it seemed like an important thing to do," he said.
Mansfield knew he always wanted to write a book about the history of the small, liberal arts institution that was built during an era of social change.
The theme of his book correlates to the resourcefulness and courage it takes to create a College and go beyond the setbacks that are inevitable, said Mansfield. A total of four chapters have been written so far, taking the history of Virginia Wesleyan into the 1980s.
Asked if he's given the book a name, Mansfield politely shakes his head. "I want to let the book tell me what the title should be," he said.
To his benefit, Mansfield's role as College archivist gives him direct access to the raw materials for his book. The materials contain a wide variety of information about the College over half a century. He's even preserving early maps of Virginia Wesleyan in which Interstate 64 was hand drawn.
"That's because this is before the road was even built," he said.
Mansfield's approach to the collecting of the archives is personal, yet logical. "I want to document how we got to the point we did," he said. "It's been very exciting because I've lived through a lot of this history – it's like I'm reliving my experience at the College."
A glimpse into the archives shows that Virginia Wesleyan was created during a crucial and serious time during American history. The specific location also played an important role for the community and the United Methodist Church that boasts more than 100 colleges with five in the Commonwealth.
"Some of the most fascinating materials relate to the creating of the College, really out of nothing," said Mansfield. "The evolution of the College relating to the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War and the Hippie-Movement reflect where American was in history," he noted.
Other interesting materials show that there were originally 18 proposed sites for the College. Six sites were examined carefully, said Mansfield, and the "proximity to Norfolk and Virginia Beach," was the determining factor for purchasing the land that borders the two cities. Approximately 300 acres of land were bought for just over $600,000 – four acres were sold to the United Methodist Church and two to Norfolk Academy.
To thoroughly understand the background of archives at an institution, Mansfield visited the archives at the College of William & Mary, Old Dominion University and Norfolk State. Like other colleges, Virginia Wesleyan doesn't save everything, he said – and that can be difficult albeit.
"As a historian, I tend to want to save more," he admitted.
The archive material also includes interviews with former faculty and board of trustee members. Emeritus Trustee, Bob Boyd, is one of the few founders of the College – and the last of the original trustees to put 50 years into a historical perspective. Something Mansfield takes into account every day he works on the project.
"I'm mindful of the fact that there are only a handful of people I can actively go to for first person experiences," he said.
To supplement both the archives and his book, Mansfield is inviting all alumni to share memories and memorabilia. He's looking for narrative recollections of College history and student life; candid photos of campus, student activities, athletic events, faculty and staff; minutes from club and organizational meetings; and posters and pins/buttons from special activities.
Items should be sent to the College Archives, Virginia Wesleyan College, 1584 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502. All items should include name, address, phone number, e-mail address and a brief description. Also, please indicate whether the item(s) may be deposited in the College Archives or should be returned.
For more information, contact Dr. Stephen Mansfield at 757.233.8772 or e-mail smansfield@vwc.edu.