Browse Items (373 total)

A respected lawyer and jurist, Leroy Rountree Hassell Sr. was the first African American to serve as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Norfolk

A leader in the political, cultural, and civic life of Alexandria, William Darnell “Bill” Euille became the first African American elected mayor of the city.

Alexandria

For decades, multi-talented saxophonist and bandleader James “Plunky” Branch has promoted the cultural importance of music at home and abroad.

Richmond

Brigadier General Gwen Bingham was the first woman to serve as quartermaster general of the United States Army.

Prince George County

Philanthropist Grace Arents supported a variety of educational and public health programs and bequeathed her estate to become a botanic garden.

Richmond

Living in a rural mountain region with few doctors, Orleana Hawks Puckett became a midwife and successfully delivered more than 1,000 babies in her community.

Patrick and Caroll Counties

Elizabeth Van Lew oversaw an effective and significant Union spy network during the Civil War.

Richmond

Appointed a captain in the Confederate army, Sally Tompkins managed a hospital in Richmond during the Civil War.

Richmond

For seventy-five years Mary Virginia Hawes Terhune's pen name, Marion Harland, was nationally known to readers of her novels, short stories, and domestic advice.

Amelia County

Kate Mason Rowland is best known for her biography of her great-great-granduncle George Mason.

Richmond