A look back at the history of VCU

Emily Smith & Brett Tignor

This summer, Virginia Commonwealth University will celebrate its 40th anniversary, but the school actually dates back to the 1800’s.

VCU traces its roots back to the opening of the Medical College of Virginia in 1838. MCV was one of three southern colleges to graduate a class each year of the Civil War.

In 1917, what became Richmond Professional Institute opened on Franklin Street. RPI was created to combine hands-on training in the community with academic coursework.

Dr. William Blake began teaching at RPI in the 1960’s. He still teaches history courses at VCU, nearly forty-five years later.

“When I came here full time in 1965, you had the School of Social Work, the School of the Arts and the School of Business,” said Blake. “You did not have a liberal arts college. We were service courses for the professional areas.”

Throughout the mid 1900’s, RPI and MCV began to work together. MCV students began enrolling in English, history, statistics and economics courses at RPI.

VCU historian and former VCU student, Ray Bonis says there was a reason for the schools to come together.

“MCV and Richmond Professional Institute sort of needed each other to become a university,” said Bonis.

In 1968, RPI and MCV merged to create Virginia Commonwealth University with an enrollment of more than ten thousand students.

“Faculty played a very important role bringing the two campuses together,” Blake said. “We got together and talked and saw the importance of structures that would unify the campus. We founded the University Assembly and the Faculty Senate.”

Since the two campuses merged, VCU has more than doubled in population and in buildings. Bonis said he had no idea that VCU would grow so rapidly.

“I think everyone though the university was going to grow, but not at this level,” said Bonis. “Not only the number of students and the increased number of faculty and programs – the new buildings on Broad Street and the new campus across Belvidere never crossed our minds.”

With a student body of more than 30,000, Bonis thinks VCU has kept the city of Richmond alive.

“Without VCU, Richmond would be a ghost town in many ways…Richmond has lost population and VCU has helped to maintain the population that it does have,” said Bonis.

Students can stop by the Special Collections and Archives office located on the 4th floor of the Cabell Library to see numerous documents and pictures that capture the history of VCU.

See more historical pictures of VCU

VCU Timeline:

• 1838- Hampton-Sydney Colleges opens a medical school in central Virginia.
• 1844- The Egyptian Building opens with three lecture halls.
• 1853-The medical department dissolves its connections with Hampton-Sydney.
• 1854-Richmond physicians secure a charter from the General Assembly, creating the Medical College of Virginia.
• 1893- Former MCV professor, Hunter McGuire founded the University College of Medicine in Richmond. This became MCV’s competitor.
• 1913- The University College of Medicine and MCV merge.
• 1917- Henry Hibbs and J. J. Scherer open the Richmond School of Social Economy.
• 1925- Richmond School of Social Economy becomes affiliated with the College of William and Mary and moves into Founder’s Hall on Franklin St.
• 1939- The Richmond School of Social Economy is renamed Richmond Professional Institute.
• 1962- RPI becomes independent from William and Mary. RPI’s school colors are changed to blue and gray.
• 1963- RPI mascot changes from the green Devil to the Ram.
• 1968- MCV does its first heart transplant.
• 1968- MCV and RPI merge to form Virginia Commonwealth University.
• 1969- VCU’s colors become black and gold.
• 2006- VCU’s enrollment reaches 30,000 students.
• 2007- The new Business Building pushes the Monroe Park Campus to the other side of Belvidere.

See how much you know about VCU!