Bob Quisenberry: A Valued Hokie

Community,” Bob Quisenberry, Class of 1962, says of Virginia Tech. “It’s the best community I’ve ever seen.” As the son of a Class of 1920 alumnus and a lifelong supporter of his alma mater, Quisenberry has decades of experience with the university to support his claim. In the years since his graduation, he has shown himself to be a proud …

Willis and Mary Nolen Blackwood: The Hokie Nation Personified

“It amazes me,” Mary Nolen Blackwood joyfully reminisces, a Virginia Tech grad of ‘73, “you love each other in spite of your idiosyncrasies.”  Willis and Mary Nolen Blackwood, Class of 1972 and 1973 respectively, have continued to maintain their connection to Virginia Tech for the past 50 years following graduation through heavy family ties and financial involvements. Even in Florida, …

Bob Bates: Researcher, Collaborator, and Educator

Education has always been important in the life of Robert “Bob” Bates, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (now College of Science). Both of his parents were college-educated, and his mother was a teacher, while his father worked for the U.S. government. The youngest of four, Bates and his siblings were all expected to attend college. Although …