Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Virginia Secretary of Education, Correspondence and subject files, 1998-2001. Accession 38994, State Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Office of the Secretary of Education January 10, 2002.

Biographical/Historical Information

The secretarial system of organizing state government agencies was established by the General Assembly in 1972. The secretaries are appointed by the Governor and serve at his pleasure. Their primary mandates are to resolve conflicts among assigned agencies and officials; to direct the formulation of a comprehensive program budget for their assigned agencies; hold agency heads accountable for their administrative, fiscal and program actions; and direct the development of planning necessary for the effective and efficient operation of government. The Secretary of Education assists the Governor in the management of state agencies in the area of education, including the boards of public institutions of higher education, the community college system and various cultural institutions in the Commonwealth. The Secretary of Education also provides leadership and vision for all public education in Virginia.

Wilbert Bryant was appointed Secretary of Education by Governor Jim Gilmore on January 18, 1998. Prior to his appointment, Bryant served as Deputy Secretary of Education for former Governor George Allen.

Scope and Content Information

This collection is comprised of Wilbert Bryant's correspondence and subject files, 1998-2001, from his tenure as Virginia Secretary of Education. The collection is organized into the following series: Constituent Correspondence (15 cu. ft.); Appointment Calendars (.5 cu. ft.); Correspondence with State Agencies (1.5 cu. ft.); and Subject Files (2 cu. ft.). Subjects covered in the correspondence include prepaid tuition contracts, funding for higher education, Literacy Passport test, school vouchers, SOLs, teacher salaries, TAG, Virginia Commission for the Arts, teacher education, school violence, Blue Ribbon Commission, and many others.