Despite being used on Grounds perhaps more often than the names of most US senators, the origins of the names of UVA’s residential halls are rarely known. Typically, the most a student may see are the small plaques on building walls. However, these buildings each have a rich and fascinating history- histories this article will explore. Because of the University’s relentless construction of new dormitories, this article will focus solely on Old Dorms and the newest constructions, with a wide variety of eclectic figures both from UVA’s ancient, and more modern, history.
Charles Bonnycastle was an Englishman who came to the University of Virginia at the age of 28(!) to become the first professor of natural philosophy. His term saw some interesting accomplishments, including the incorporation of raised benches to improve the learning experiences of his students. A more detailed description of Bonnycastle’s life can be found on the Encyclopedia Virginia website here. Bonnycastle would die in 1840, at the age of 44, having spent a significant portion of his life teaching at UVA since the very founding of the institution.
Somewhat less information exists about Richard Heath Dabney. The grandson of a wealthy Virginian slave owner, he attended UVA for his undergraduate degree, becoming good friends with a certain Woodrow Wilson before moving to Germany. Importantly, in Germany, he claimed to have drunk only beer for an entire year. Dabney would teach in Indiana for some time, but disagreements with the Indiana University’s President, among other issues- some racist in nature- resulted in his return to Virginia in 1889 as a professor and graduate dean for the remaining decades of his life. More information about his time in Germany and Indiana was published in the Indiana Magazine of History.
William Holding Echols was a professor of mathematics at the University beginning in 1891, and is unceremoniously remembered mostly for, as UVA’s housing website states, “his efforts to save the Rotunda when the Annex caught fire in 1895.” This method of saving the Rotunda mostly involved copious amounts of high explosives. These days, Echols is also the name of a prestigious program in the College of Arts & Sciences.
John Patten Emmet was another figure from the University’s early history, graduating from West Point before becoming a natural history professor in 1825, shortly after the founding of the University. Little else is known about him, and the Encyclopedia Virginia has the most comprehensive biography about his life.
Charles Hancock has a mostly unknown life beyond UVA’s brief description, but according to the UVA Magazine, he studied at the University as an undergraduate in 1904 before eventually landing a role as a mechanical engineering professor. UVA’s housing website also mentions he was a member of the Raven Society.
Milton Wylie Humphreys began his adult life serving in the Confederate Army under an artilleryman, and his interest in ballistics would remain with him as an academic hobby for the rest of his life. Humphrey served the University of Virginia as a Greek professor. In fact, his dissertation’s name is entirely Greek, so although it’s easy to find, the actual subject matter is unknown to the author of this article. More information can be found on Rutgers University’s website.
Another friend of Woodrow Wilson during their shared time at the University, Charles Kent would go on to receive a PhD in Germany (just like at least two others on this list) before returning to his alma mater later in life. At UVA, he taught English literature. He was a member of the Ravens – like Hancock – as well as the Glee Club, which is why one of the best biographies of his life is in fact on the Glee Club Fandom website.
One of the few to have a Wikipedia page, Albert Lefevre taught psychology at UVA for over two decades. Very little else is known about his life, but he was a member of the Colonnade Club. Both Wikipedia and “Find a Grave” have more information. Interestingly, his tombstone is in the UVA Cemetery, directly across from what is now Lefevre House.
John Calvin Metcalf taught English literature at UVA from 1917 to 1940, and was a graduate dean. His many publications can be seen online, and his passion for literature is clear in his involvements in a wide variety of literary societies. His obituary can be seen on Delaware Online’s website.
Former Chairman of the Faculty, James Morris Page’s family had a long history in the state and at the University. Other than his Chairmanship, little else can be found about his life and work. His “Find a Grave” page was one of the only sources of information online.
Until recently, isolated from the rest of the University, the building named after Raymond Bice rarely received much love from the student body. However, Bice himself was a well-appreciated member of UVA faculty. Teaching as a psychology professor and serving as director of male housing, among many other roles and responsibilities, Bice was a cornerstone of UVA for 46 years. Raymond Bice passed away in 2012, meaning his legacy and memory is still quite fresh at the University. UVA Today published an excellent and very detailed article about his long and successful career upon his passing in 2012.
An accomplished civil rights activist, Julian Bond served as a professor on the civil rights movement at the University from 1990 to 2012. During his lifetime, he was the chairman of the NAACP and a member of both the Georgia State House and State Senate. Even in his later years, Bond would work to achieve social justice, fighting for same-sex marriage and against climate change. Julius Bond would ultimately pass in 2015, but his legacy will certainly live on for generations. More can be found on his Wikipedia page.
The namesake of one of the two brand-new construction projects on Grounds, Paul Gaston taught history at the University for 40 years. A major proponent of racial equality and civil rights, he helped bring Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. to the University in the 60s. Facing beatings and arrests, Gaston also directly risked his life and safety to end segregation. In the 90s, he invited Julian Bond to join UVA and teach about the civil rights movement. Much of his life is detailed in a UVA Today article written upon his passing in 2019.
Opening alongside Gaston, the building named after Ruhi Ramazani also honors a modern UVA legend. After immigrating from Iran at a young age, Dr. Ramazani studied at UGA and then UVA. After graduation, he would eventually return to teach foreign affairs here, and was an accomplished expert in Iranian affairs. The Department of Politics website has an excellent page dedicated to honoring his life and work.
Many of UVA’s older dormitories have troubling legacies attached to their names- though importantly, not all. However, once the new Gaston and Ramazani buildings are completed, the University will be honoring the names of two UVA legends who fought for civil rights and educated multiple generations of students at this university. These new additions will honor two important parts of UVA’s legacy- world-renowned faculty and a dedication to service.
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