Warden, Hilda Yates, papers A Guide to the Hilda Yates Warden Papers M 376 A Collection in Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, M 376
Hilda Yates Warden Papers, Collection Number M 376, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia
Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.
Hilda Yates Warden was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She attended public schools in Richmond. In 1935, she graduated
from Virginia Union University. Warden was working for the Richmond Department of Welfare by 1950 when African Americans were
just beginning to be hired as supervisors in the Department. Warden realized that she needed to further her education to be
promoted to a supervisor. Seeking opportunities for professional growth in the field of social work, the former school teacher
decided to start by taking one class in social work. She applied to Richmond Professional Institute (later VCU) but was told
that she was not allowed to apply because the administration at RPI had not made a decision on whether to admit African Americans.
Other part-time students (white students) only had to fill out a short application to apply, while Warden was required to
fill out a full time application. After having to go through so much turmoil, she decided to go ahead and apply for full-time
status. Warden was quietly admitted to the school of Social Work at RPI along with four other African American students in
1951. She went on to get her Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling at RPI in 1964. After getting the MS in
Rehabilitation Counseling, she was hired at Virginia Union University (VUU) as a counselor where she worked for approximately
eleven years. In her position at VUU, she directed several federal programs. She held positions with the Richmond Committee
of Black Social Workers, Offender Aid and Restoration, and the Virginia Commission on Human Relations. Upon leaving VUU, Warden
worked at the Richmond Department for Aging from 1976 to 1983. Since 1984, she has been working as a legislative assistant
to Senator Yvonne Miller.
The collection includes minutes, correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, various publications and other materials related
to Warden's interests in civil rights and prisoner treatment. The materials date from the mid-1960s until the mid-2000s although
the bulk of the collection is from 1969-1971. A significant portion of the collection is comprised of materials from her activities
within the Virginia Commission on Human Relations, Richmond Y.W.C.A., and Offender Aid and Restoration. The collection also
contains some items related to her husband George Warden's work at the Manhattan For Hire Car Corporation.
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