Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives ( specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], T. Marshall Hahn, Jr., Papers, Ms2019-041, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated to Special Collections and University Archives in 2019.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the T. Marshall Hahn, Jr., Papers was completed in November 2019.

Biographical Note

T. Marshall Hahn, Jr. (1926-2016) served as the 11th president of Virginia Tech and CEO of the Georgia Pacific Corporation. Hahn earned a B.S. in physics from the University of Kentucky at the age of 18, served two years in the U.S. Navy, and received his Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at 23. In 1954, Hahn joined Virginia Tech as the head of the Department of Physics.

In 1962, Hahn became the 11th president of Virginia Polytechnic Insitute (VPI). During his tenure, he was influential in obtaining university status and changing the institution's name to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1970. Hahn expanded female enrollment by severing ties with Radford University, which served as the Women's Division of VPI from 1944 until 1964. He was also an advocate of the Virginia Community College System, with Virginia Tech becoming the first college or university to accept community college students without loss of credit. Additionally, the university dropped the mandatory military requirement for male students, created several colleges, and expanded the arts programs.

Hahn resigned from the university in 1974, becoming the executive vice president of the Georgia Pacific Corporation (GP). In 1976, he was promoted to president and 1983 became chief executive office, which he served as until his retirement in 1993. He led the company's takeover of Great Northern Nekooska, making in the largest paper manufacturer in the U.S. at the time.

T. Marshall Hahn, Jr., married Margaret Louise "Peggy" Lee in 1948, and the couple had three children.

Source:

In memoriam: Virginia Tech President Emeritus T. Marshall Hahn Jr. , Virginia Tech News, May 30, 2016.

Scope and Content

The T. Marshall Hahn, Jr., Papers, Ms2019-041, document the business career of Hahn after leaving Virginia Tech. Items include a 1994 invirtation and guestbook for his retirement dinner as CEO of George Pacific Corporation (GP), and an undated watercolor portrait of Hahn, several other people, and the activities of GP. There is a 1997 resolution of appreciation for Hahn from Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc., for which he was a board member. The collection also contains a program for his memorial service in 2016 and the remarks made at the service by Timothy Sands, president of Virginia Tech at the time.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged chronologically with undated material at the end.

Related Material

See also the Records of the Office of the President, T. Marshall Hahn, Jr., 1962-1974, RG 2/11 from his tenure as President of Virginia Tech.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Businesspeople
• Faculty and staff
• Hahn, T. Marshall, Jr. (Thomas Marshall), 1926-2016
• University Archives

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the T. Marshall Hahn, Jr., Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your- work/public-domain/cc0/ ).