Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Access Restrictions

Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Velma Hilda Davis Woodring Scrapbook, 1924-1926, SC 0277, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

The scrapbook was donated by Woodring's great niece, Wendy Slade Mathias, in October 2018.

Bio/Historical Note

Velma Hilda Davis Woodring (1908-1968) was born to Walter Davis and Mary Jollett Davis of Shenandoah, Virginia. In the fall of 1924, Woodring (née Davis) matriculated at the State Teachers College at Harrisonburg where she studied to become a teacher. Like many of her classmates, Woodring was active in the Athletic Association and YWCA. She was described in the 1926 Schoolma'am as "A jolly good sport in rain and sun." Velma's sister Violetta also attended the State Normal School/State Teachers College, receiving degrees in 1923 and 1930.

Velma married Arthur "Woody" Woodring (1903-1951) on January 15, 1927 in the parlor of her home in Shenandoah. The Woodrings eventually settled in Martinsburg, West Virginia where Velma was a school teacher and Woody played minor league baseball for the Martinsburg Blue Sox. Woodring also taught at Waterman Elementary School in Harrisonburg prior to relocating to West Virginia. After her husband's death in 1951, Woodring left Martinsburg for Asia where she taught at Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) in Japan and South Korea.

Woodring died June 5, 1968 in Harrisonburg and is buried alongside her husband at Coverstone Cemetery in Shenandoah.

Scope and Content

The Velma Hilda Davis Woodring Scrapbook, 1924-1926, comprises captioned black-and-white photographs documenting Woodring's (née Davis) time as a student at the State Teachers College at Harrisonburg. Her social life and involvement in extracurricular activities are prominently documented.

Dormitory life and dormitory interiors and exteriors, campus buildings, snowscapes (dated January 1925, October 1925, February 1926), and student life are all captured. The pictures primarily comprise candid shots with Woodring and her friends and classmates Leta LeVow and Bill Porter, who are captured posing for the camera. Dr. Samuel Duke, photographed while on a hike to the top of Massanutten Peak, and Velma's sister Violetta "Teddy" Davis are also pictured.

Specific campus sites include the Quad; Wellington Hall, where Woodring lived; Harrison Hall; Jackson Hall; the outdoor swimming pool, located a short distance between the modern day buildings of Moody Hall and Varner House; the field hockey field near Rockingham Memorial Hospital; and the entrance gate to campus. Woodring and her friends are pictured hiking, swimming, and participating in field day. The basketball team is also pictured. Off-campus locales captured in the photographs include the Dayton Pike, Lookout Mountain, Massanutten Peak, and the Edgelawn Inn sign along the Staunton Pike.

The pictures are captioned and dated. The captions are mostly silly in nature or otherwise nebulous, and are likely in reference to inside jokes between Woodring and her friends. Occasional quippy poems or anecdotes are scattered among the photographs. Of particular interest is Woodring's description of an October 1924 hiking trip up Massanutten Peak.

Arrangement

Some scrapbook pages have become detached from the binding. The pages are arranged in the order in which the scrapbook was acquired.

Related Material

Diplomas, 1912-1936, UA 0036, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Education, Higher -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg -- History
• Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History
• James Madison University -- Students -- History
• Mathias, Wendy Slade
• Photographs
• Scrapbooks
• State Teachers College at Harrisonburg (Harrisonburg, Va.) -- Alumni and alumnae
• State Teachers College at Harrisonburg (Harrisonburg, Va.) -- Buildings
• State Teachers College at Harrisonburg (Harrisonburg, Va.) -- History
• State Teachers College at Harrisonburg (Harrisonburg, Va.) -- Students
• State Teachers College at Harrisonburg (Harrisonburg, Va.) -- Students -- Social life and customs
• Universities and colleges -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg -- History