Old Dominion University - Troubador Yearbook (Norfolk, VA)

Page 21 text:

■ I Ml It is a rare occasion in the long history of a college when the students are privileged to dedicate their annual to a man who has just become their first president. The 1961 Chieftain welcomes this unique honor. The history of the Norfolk College of William and Mary is synonymous with the biography of President Lewis W. Webb, Jr. as an educator, because he has been with the College since its second birthday as Professor of Physics, Assistant Director, and (1946) as Director. In 1957 President Webb was named Provost of our college. On September 1, 1960, the Board of Visitors bestowed upon him one of its highest honors when it appointed him to the newly-created post of President. Mr. Webb is a prominent civic leader of the South, and his honors are legion. He has served as President of the Norfolk Rotary Club, President of the Engineers Club of Hampton Roads, Committee Chairman of the Virginia Academy of Science, on the Board of Directors of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, and on numerous committees dedicated to the progress of the Virginia area. Under President Webb’s leadership, the enrollment of the Norfolk College of William and Mary has grown from a few score to 3,500, with a supporting faculty of 155. Five large buildings have been constructed and the curriculum expanded to include four-year courses leading to Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in a variety of fields. Grants, bequests, and endowments have also increased, and the probability of future growth of the College under Mr. Webb’s leadership is bright with promise. On September 26, 1960, a private reception was planned by the College to honor Mr. Webb’s appointment to the presidency, but so many local groups asked to participate that a new date was set and the program was greatly expanded. Six local governments presented our first president with citations on this occasion, and other honors were spoken. And now we, the students of the Norfolk College of William and Mary, take pride in this small gesture in honor of our first president: with thankfulness, humility, and boundless appreciation for a job well done and an even greater one in the years ahead, we dedicate the 1961 Chieftain to President Lewis Warrington Webb, Jr. President Webb’s inauguration speech.