UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Leonard Sandrige, Former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

“I can remember the day, a Sunday afternoon, and my father drove me into town with my mother. But he pulled up in front of this massive building that I later learned was the Rotunda and he looked over at that and he said, ‘Leonard, that's the University of Virginia. The people that go there are better than we are.’ I never dreamed that I would have either the opportunity or the ability to be associated with the University of Virginia. But that is my first memory of the university.

“I am started out at the university in 1967. And was very fortunate to have opportunities to move up in the university and retired as Executive VP and COO.

“I did get a Master’s at UVa after I went to work at UVa, so I'm very proud of that as well.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Leonard Sandrige, Former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

“I can remember the day, a Sunday afternoon, and my father drove me into town with my mother. But he pulled up in front of this massive building that I later learned was the Rotunda and he looked over at that and he said, ‘Leonard, that's the University of Virginia. The people that go there are better than we are.’ I never dreamed that I would have either the opportunity or the ability to be associated with the University of Virginia. But that is my first memory of the university.

“I am started out at the university in 1967. And was very fortunate to have opportunities to move up in the university and retired as Executive VP and COO.

“I did get a Master’s at UVa after I went to work at UVa, so I'm very proud of that as well.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Leonard Sandrige, Former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

“The success of the admission of women was so positive and so conspicuous that those who were doubters either changed their mind or were embarrassed to talk about their views.

“I started out at the University in 1967, retired as Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer in 2011.

“There were those who thought, you know, this was never intended by Mr. Jefferson to be a place where women went. They were sure that they would distract the male students, who bragged about a ‘gentlemanly C.’

“That changed almost overnight. There was competition and there was huge competition. Fortunately, we were able to grow the enrollment at the same time. If not, male students would have had real trouble getting in on any kind of equal basis.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Leonard Sandrige, Former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

“The success of the admission of women was so positive and so conspicuous that those who were doubters either changed their mind or were embarrassed to talk about their views.

“I started out at the University in 1967, retired as Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer in 2011.

“There were those who thought, you know, this was never intended by Mr. Jefferson to be a place where women went. They were sure that they would distract the male students, who bragged about a ‘gentlemanly C.’

“That changed almost overnight. There was competition and there was huge competition. Fortunately, we were able to grow the enrollment at the same time. If not, male students would have had real trouble getting in on any kind of equal basis.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

LaVahn Hoh, Professor Emeritus, Department of Drama

‘“Circus!? You’re teaching circus at UVa? Wooo.’

“So in 1982, I went to the chairman, and said, ‘May I teach a course on the history of the American circus?’ And he said, ‘Well, yeah, sure.’ And I think at the time he was thinking, ‘Well, this will be a bust.’

“So I contacted the Enquirer Printing Company in Cincinnati and got circus posters and posted the grounds about my course.

“Next day I went out, and there wasn't one poster left. People took them thinking, you know, this is a collector's item. Even the Dean's secretary took one of the posters and put it up in her office.

“So the next year I taught it again and I ordered more posters because sure enough they all disappeared. That year I turned 150 students away, so I knew I had a hit on my hands.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

LaVahn Hoh, Professor Emeritus, Department of Drama

‘“Circus!? You’re teaching circus at UVa? Wooo.’

“So in 1982, I went to the chairman, and said, ‘May I teach a course on the history of the American circus?’ And he said, ‘Well, yeah, sure.’ And I think at the time he was thinking, ‘Well, this will be a bust.’

“So I contacted the Enquirer Printing Company in Cincinnati and got circus posters and posted the grounds about my course.

“Next day I went out, and there wasn't one poster left. People took them thinking, you know, this is a collector's item. Even the Dean's secretary took one of the posters and put it up in her office.

“So the next year I taught it again and I ordered more posters because sure enough they all disappeared. That year I turned 150 students away, so I knew I had a hit on my hands.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

LaVahn Hoh, Professor Emeritus, Department of Drama

“Minor Hall — what an interesting building that was to do theater.

“I started teaching at UVa in 1969. Interesting time. Our scenery, we built our scenery in the basement. And every now and then a very large cockroach would run by and we would lay claim to it. Or if we'd be painting on the floor, we would paint it as it would zip by and say, ‘All right, the blue one's mine, you can have the gold one.’

“And if we built a set on stage and if an actor had to leave that set on the left side or on stage left, there was no room over there, so he went out the window and then around the building and back in the front door of the building so he could appear on stage right. So he had to go outside and come around.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

LaVahn Hoh, Professor Emeritus, Department of Drama

“Minor Hall — what an interesting building that was to do theater.

“I started teaching at UVa in 1969. Interesting time. Our scenery, we built our scenery in the basement. And every now and then a very large cockroach would run by and we would lay claim to it. Or if we'd be painting on the floor, we would paint it as it would zip by and say, ‘All right, the blue one's mine, you can have the gold one.’

“And if we built a set on stage and if an actor had to leave that set on the left side or on stage left, there was no room over there, so he went out the window and then around the building and back in the front door of the building so he could appear on stage right. So he had to go outside and come around.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Ken Elzinga, Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics

“When I came here, it was all male. They were virtually all white, and they all wore coats and ties.

“I am now in my 51st year on the faculty at the University of Virginia.

“Coeducation, which happened just shortly after I arrived, almost immediately changed the academic tone of the College of Arts & Sciences.

“The women who came here were so intellectually alive, that a lot of the male students were just kind of blown away. I still remember that — particularly in my Antitrust class where I call on people. Guys who may have thought an answer was okay around a bunch of other guys, realized that the women were ratcheting up the level of the dialogue and that they needed to try and attain that.

“And so this notion of a ‘gentleman’s C’ — that just kind of went away.”

For more: www.uvastories.org

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Ken Elzinga, Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics

“When I came here, it was all male. They were virtually all white, and they all wore coats and ties.

“I am now in my 51st year on the faculty at the University of Virginia.

“Coeducation, which happened just shortly after I arrived, almost immediately changed the academic tone of the College of Arts & Sciences.

“The women who came here were so intellectually alive, that a lot of the male students were just kind of blown away. I still remember that — particularly in my Antitrust class where I call on people. Guys who may have thought an answer was okay around a bunch of other guys, realized that the women were ratcheting up the level of the dialogue and that they needed to try and attain that.

“And so this notion of a ‘gentleman’s C’ — that just kind of went away.”

For more: www.uvastories.org