Crockford, Virginia, papers A Guide to the Virginia Crockford papers, 1955-1999 M 283

A Guide to the Virginia Crockford papers, 1955-1999 M 283


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VCU James Branch Cabell Library

Special Collections and Archives 901 Park Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23284
Business Number: (804) 828-1108
libjbcsca@vcu.edu
URL: https://www.library.vcu.edu/research-teaching/special-collections-and-archives/locations/#cabell

Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Betsy Pittman Revised by Dillon Thomas

Repository
VCU James Branch Cabell Library
Identification
M 283
Title
Virginia Crockford papers 1955-1999, bulk 1961-1975
Quantity
3.95 Linear Feet, 9, 5" doc cases, 1, 2.5" doc case
Creator
Crockford, Virginia Allen, 1917-2001
Language
English .

Administrative Information

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Virginia Crockford papers, 1955-1999, Collection # M 283, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Acquisition Information

The initial deposit was given to Special Collections and Archives by Mrs. Crockford in November 1990. A second deposit from Mrs. Crockford was made in July 1995.

Processing Information

Originally processed in August 1990 and revised in July 1995, in 2019, the collection was rehoused for preservation purposes and reprocessed to facilitate better access. A previously unprocessed accession was identified and incorporated into the the collection. The finding aid was updated in accordance with DACS standards to reflect the changes and additions to the collection.


Biographical/Historical Information

Virginia Allen Crockford (1917-2001) served on the City of Richmond's School Board during the late 1960s and early 1970s. During her tenure on the board, the city schools were desegregated, and the sex education curriculum expanded. Born in Blacksburg, Virginia, in 1917, Crockford moved to Richmond, Virginia, in 1947 with her husband, W. Hamilton Crockford III. In 1962, she was appointed to the Richmond City School Board. At the time, she was the only female member of the board and the second woman in the history of the organization. Crockford later served as the Chair of the board from 1968-1972.

While serving on the board, Crockford acted as a proponent for efficient and effective desegregation of the Richmond City Public Schools. She advocated for a logistical model of integration that did not require the temporary closing of schools, instead opting for busing to facilitate integration. As a result of her methods, which parents found radical, Richmond City Councilman Howard Carwile called for her removal in 1970, but the motion was defeated in a 7-1 vote.

Additionally, she was involved in the review process for an updated sex education curriculum within Richmond City Schools, which resulted in an expanded and improved program. She also led efforts to promote the National Congress of Parents and Teachers' position for expanded sex education throughout the state of Virginia.

Crockford remained on the school board until her term ended in 1972. In addition to serving on the school board, Crockford was president of the Virginia Parent Teacher Association, the League of Women Voters, and the Central Virginia Health System's Agency. She was also a member of the Virginia Health Planning Agency and the founder of the Volunteers and Juvenile Courts Project.

In 1989-1993, she served on the steering committee for Richmond Tomorrow, a community-based strategic planning group established by the Richmond City Council focused on creating a common vision for the city's development. During her time on the steering committee, she served the organization's goal of improving the community through the establishment and implementation of multiple task forces to examine city finances, education, and economic development.

She died on March 24, 2001.

Scope and Contents

The Virginia Crockford papers, 1955-1999, bulk 1961-1975, is a collection of materials used by Virginia Crockford during her tenure on the City of Richmond School Board (1962-1972) and on the steering committee of the Richmond Tomorrow strategic planning group (1989-1993). The collection primarily consists of correspondence, meeting minutes, task force reports, and informational material regarding Richmond City Public Schools. A primary focus of the material is the desegregation of Richmond City Public Schools, highlighting public reaction and the school board's response and implementation of this policy.

Series 1: Desegregation Files, 1961-1975: The Desegregation Files series of the collection focuses on the Richmond City School Board's involvement in and implementation of desegregation programs during and after the United States Civil Rights Movement. The series contains various subject files related to desegregation implementation including correspondence with parents of students, integrated busing, school reopenings, and regional consolidation.

Series 2: Richmond School Board Files, 1955-1999, bulk 1961-1975: The bulk of the collection is comprised of files from the Richmond School Board regarding general issues that Crockford was involved in during her tenure. This material includes meeting minutes and agendas from Richmond City School Board meetings, correspondence, task force reports, and subject files.

The meeting minutes and correspondence provide insight into the issues which the Richmond City School Board faced during Crockford's tenure. These issues include parental complaints, concerns over various logistical restructuring projects, and opposition to changes in sex education policy.

The series' task force reports and subject files provide focused information on projects the school board was undertaking, which include public school remodeling, a restructuring of the Richmond City Kindergarten Program, school safety initiatives, the Sidney School Program for Pregnant Teens, and changes to the sex education curriculum.

Series 3: Publications, 1961-1972: Also included in the collection are various publications regarding the public schools of Virginia, as well as various political movements in Virginia. These publications are primarily composed of bulletins, pamphlets, newsletters, informational booklets, and flyers. The bulk of the publications pertain to the procedure of desegregation throughout Virginia. Material both promoting and deriding the efforts of desegregation from the time of its implementation is included. Additional publications concern the effects of the Civil Rights movement in Virginia and the legal battles which it encompassed and their relation to Virginia public schools.

Series 4: Richmond Tomorrow, 1989-1993: Additionally, the collection contains material from Crockford's later career when she served on the steering committee for the Richmond Tomorrow strategic planning group. The bulk of the series consists of reports from various task forces enabled by Richmond Tomorrow. The task forces focused on topics that affected the city's entire population such as city finance, public and private education, and housing credit. The information from the task force reports is consolidated in the Richmond Tomorrow Citizens Report, which makes recommendations for city projects based upon the findings.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into four series: Series 1: Desegregation Files, 1961-1975, Series 2: Richmond School Board Files, 1955-1999, bulk 1961-1975, Series 3: Publication, 1961-1972, Series 4: Richmond Tomorrow, 1989-1993.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

  • Crockford, Virginia Allen, 1917-2001
  • Public schools -- Management.
  • School board members -- Virginia -- Richmond.
  • School integration -- Virginia -- Richmond.
  • School integration -- Virginia.

Container List

Series 1: Desegregation Files
1961-1975
  • Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 1
    Chesterfield Annexation
    1969-1976
  • Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 2
    Biographical Information Form
    1970
  • Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 3
    Bradley v. School Board of Richmond Legal Files
    1969-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 4
    Bradley v. School Board of Richmond Legal Files
    1969-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 5
    Opening of Schools
    1971-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 6
    Busing
    1970-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 7
    Central Virginia Educational Television
    1963-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 8
    Consolidation
    1961-1962
  • Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 9
    Correspondence Regarding Desegregation
    1969-1970
  • Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 10
    Correspondence Regarding Desegregation
    1971-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 1
    McDorman, Jane E.
    1971
  • Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 2
    Parent Advisory Council on Busing
    1975
  • Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 3
    Plan III Revised
    1970
  • Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 4
    Richmond City Schools Desegregation Plan
    1970
  • Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 5
    Richmond City Schools Desegregation Plan
    1970
Series 2: Richmond School Board Files
1955-1999, bulk 1961-1975
  • Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 6
    Brown v. School Board of the City of Richmond
    1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 7
    Citizens for Excellent Public Schools
    1970-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 8
    Committee for Youth
    1962-1966
  • Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 9
    Compulsory Attendance
    1963, 1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 10
    Correspondence - General
    1958-1959, 1964-1970
  • Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 1
    Correspondence - General
    1970-1971
  • Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 2
    Correspondence - General
    1971-1972, 1979, 1990
  • Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 1
    Correspondence - General
    1968-1970
  • Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 2
    Correspondence - General
    1970-1971
  • Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 3
    Correspondence - General
    1971-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 3
    Graves Junior High School Evaluation Report
    1967
  • Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 4
    Junior Chamber of Commerce Community Survey
    undated
  • Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 5
    Murphy v. School Board Court Documents
    1970-1971
  • Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 6
    Northside School Study Committee
    1957, 1969
  • Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 7
    Paxman v. Wilkerson Court Documents
    1975
  • Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 4
    Public Schools Remodeling Schematics
    1962-1975
  • Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 5
    Public Schools Remodeling Schematics
    1975
  • Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 8
    Richmond City Kindergarten Program
    1965, 1976
  • Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 6
    Resolutions and Statements
    1959-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 9
    Richmond Council of Women Organizations
    1965-1968
  • Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 10
    Richmond Education Association
    1970-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 11
    Richmond Federation of Parent-Teacher Associations
    1955-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 1
    Richmond Public Schools Budget
    1958, 1964, 1970-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 2
    Richmond Technical Center
    1968, 1970-1971
  • Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 3
    Rules and Regulations of the Richmond School Board
    1967
  • Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 4
    Safety in Public Schools
    1970-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 5
    School Board Minutes
    1961-1963
  • Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 6
    School Board Minutes
    1963-1965
  • Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 7
    School Board Minutes
    1965-1967
  • Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 8
    School Board Minutes
    1967-1969
  • Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 1
    School Board Minutes
    1969-1970
  • Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 2
    School Board Minutes
    1970-1971
  • Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 3
    School Board Minutes
    1971-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 4
    Sex Education in Public Schools
    1968-1973
  • Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 5
    Sidney School Program for Pregnant Teens
    1971-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 6
    Speeches Regarding Public Schools
    1970
  • Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 7
    Student Attrition
    1970-1971
  • Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 8
    Summer Jobs Survey
    1956-1969
  • Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 9
    Suspension
    1971-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 7
    Task Force Reports - Citizens for Excellent Public Schools
    1971
  • Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 8
    Task Force Reports - General
    1956-1966
  • Mixed Materials box: 8 folder: 9
    Task Force Reports - General
    1968-1975
  • Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 1
    Task Force Reports - Pupil Assignment Plan
    1975
  • Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 10
    Tax Study Commission
    1971-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 1
    Teacher Salary Freeze
    1958, 1971-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 2
    Willett, Henry I.
    1958, 1968
Series 3: Publications
1961-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 3
    Bulletins and Flyers
    1967-1972
  • Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 4
    Richmond and Virginia Government
    1961-1970
  • Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 5
    Richmond and Virginia Government
    1961-1970
  • Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 6
    Virginia Public Schools
    1963-1968
  • Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 7
    Virginia Public Schools
    1963-1968
  • Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 1
    Virginia Public Schools
    1963-1969
  • Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 2
    Virginia Public Schools
    1963-1969
  • Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 2
    Virginia Public Schools
    1961-1972
Series 4: Richmond Tomorrow
1989-1993
  • Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 3
    Agendas and Minutes
    1989-1993
  • Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 4
    Citizens Report
    1991
  • Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 5
    Citizens Report Draft
    1991
  • Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 6
    Correspondence
    1989-1991
  • Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 7
    Richmond Tomorrow Newsletter
    1992
  • Mixed Materials box: 9 folder: 8
    Task Force Reports - City Finances
    1991
  • Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 1
    Task Force Reports - Economic Development
    1991
  • Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 2
    Task Force Reports - Education
    1991
  • Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 3
    Task Force Reports - Housing Credit Study
    1991
  • Mixed Materials box: 10 folder: 4
    Task Force Reports - Regional Cooperation
    1991