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], J. Ambler Johnston Papers, Ms1974-012, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The J. Ambler Johnston Papers were donated to Special Collections and University Archives in 1974. An small addition was donated in 1980.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the J. Ambler Johnston Papers was completed in November 2021. Minimal description was completed 1974, January 2011, and November 2019.

Appraisal

The following maps were deaccessioned in 2019 due to poor condition and availability of information elsewhere.

Biographical Note

Architectural engineer, American Civil War historian, and civic benefactor, J. Ambler Johnston (1885-1974) graduated from Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (VPI) in 1904 with B.S and in 1905 with an M.S. In 1906, he received another M.S. from Cornell University and became co-founder of the architectural firm of Carneal and Johnston in Richmond, Virginia. Carneal and Johnston was responsible for many buildings on the campuses of VPI, Virginia Military Institute, and the University of Richmond (which later awarded Johnston an honorary D.Sc.). Johnston helped rewrite Richmond's building code, was a charter member of the Richmond Rotary Club, and helped found a Civil War Round Table (CWRT) at the State Penitentiary.

During World War I, Johnston served with the Richmond Light Infantry Blues (Home Guard). He held offices in several historical and scientific organizations, including the Sons of the Revolution, the Society of the Cincinnatus, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Association for the Protection of Virginia Antiquities (APVA), the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Historical Society, and the Virginia Institute for Scientific Research.

A native of Rockbridge County, Virginia, Johnston was the son of a Civil War veteran. For more than forty years, he was closely associated with Douglas Southall Freeman, noted Civil War author. Both men owned land on which a number of Civil War battles were fought and later donated these lands to the National Park Service. After Freeman's death in 1953, Johnston often presented on the life of his fellow historian. His lecture tours earned him honorary membership in CWRTs in Kansas City, Chicago, Louisville, New York City, the Confederate Historical Society of England, and Richmond. In 1965, he served as chairman of the Richmond Civil War Centennial Committee.

Throughout his life, Johnston maintained close ties with his alma mater . He served as president of the VPI Alumni Association and received the 1961 Distinguished Alumni Citation. In 1966, the university named the dormitory Ambler Johnston Hall after him. He lived in Richmond until his death in 1974.

Scope and Content

The J. Ambler Johnston Papers pertains to his many activities throughout his professional and personal life, especially the Civil War Round Table (CWRT) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. The collection is arranged by topic into five series.

Series I: Civil War Round Table, 1953-1973, includes files, notes, and recordings related to the CWRT, a national organization that promotes the study of the American Civil War through lectures, battlefield tours, and other events. This series has been divided in Subseries A: Files, arranged chronologically, and Subseries B: Recordings and File Packets.

Series II: Civil War, 1930-1972, contains files about the Civil War (not related to the CWRT), such as Johnston's work with the Richmond Civil War Centennial Commission, his ancestor's Civil War service, excursion notes, and book manuscripts.

Series III: Organizations and Societies, 1936-1972, contains files regarding Johnston's involvement in several historic and civil societies: the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Society of the Cincinnatti, Descendents of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Jamestowne Society, Virginia Historical Society, Society of Colonial Wars, Society of the Sons of the Revolution, Virginia Institute for Scientific Research, Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquites, and the Southern Historical Society.

Series IV: Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 1901-1974, contains files regarding Johnston's long personal and professional relationship with Virginia Tech, including Alumni Association files and correspondence, domintory dedication speeches, correspondence with members of the History Department, including Dr. James I. Robertson, photographs of class reunions, an Johnston's personal diary when he was a student at Virginia Tech in 1901.

Series V: Assorted, 1933-1971, consists of American Revolution book correspondence, maps, and genealogical correspondence not specific to the Civil War.

Arrangement

Materials in the collection are arranged into five series by topic, and each series is arranged by subtopic or chronologically. The collection preimarily remains in original processed order from 1974.

Related Material

Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives also maintains the Carneal and Johnston Glass Negatives, Ms2014-016 , and Carneal and Johnston Architectural Drawings, Ms2001-008 .

Separated Material

The J. Ambler Johnston collection of Civil War maps were separated to the Special Collections and University Archives Historical Map Collection.

A model sculpture of Sacrifice, one of the Pylon statues in the War Memorial Court, was separated to the Artifact Collection.

Several books have been separated to the Rare Book Collection.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War
• Faculty and staff
• Students and alumni
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
• University Archives
• University History
• Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (1896-1944)
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1944-1970)
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1970-)

Rights Statement for Archival Description

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