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], Leland B. Tate Papers, Ms1956-004, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Leland B. Tate Papers were donated to Newman Library in 1956.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Leland B. Tate Papers commenced and was completed in February, 2011.

Biographical Note

Leland B. Tate, son of John and Ada Jessee Tate, was born on March 28, 1905, and reared in Russell County, Virginia. After graduating from Emory and Henry College in 1927, Tate worked as a banker and published a book titled The Virginia Guide . He attended graduate school at the University of Virginia and received a master's degree in economics and sociology in 1931. He later obtained a Ph.D. in sociology from Cornell. In 1937, Tate became an associate professor of rural sociology at Virginia Tech. Among other activities, he studied rural-urban relations; produced a study of Virginia's changing population; and served on a governor's commission relating to population, health, and medical care. In 1935, Tate married Mildred Thurow (1905-1996), who became professor of home economics at Virginia Tech in 1937. Leland Tate died in 1999.

Scope and Content

This collection contains materials assembled by Leland B. Tate, a professor of sociology at Virginia Tech. The majority of the collection consists of newspaper clippings relating to industrial and economic development in the New River Valley during the early 1940s, with an emphasis on the construction and operation of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant. The collection also contains two brief studies compiled by Tate: "Facts about the Blacksburg Community" (1946) and "Some Facts About Virginia's People" (ca. 1955) (co-authored with George Blume). The latter study relies on census data to analyze trends in gender, age, race, urbanization, and occupation.  

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by document type.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Blacksburg (Va.)
• Faculty and staff
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Montgomery County (Va.)
• Radford Army Ammunition Plant (U.S.)
• University History
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1944-1970)

Rights Statement for Archival Description

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