Join us for the February Luncheon
Luncheons bring us together for our business meetings and interesting programs.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
REGISTRATION FORM MUST BE SUBMITTED BY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2025. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Heather Nicholson, A Historical and Personal Conversation About St. Luke’s and Odd Fellows Hall
Warm Hearth Village, Blacksburg, VA
Snow date if we need one: February 25
Heather Nicholson, a member of Virginia Tech Women’s Club, calls Blacksburg home. She moved to the area seven years ago and fell in love with the region’s mountainous landscape. Originally from New York City, Heather grew up hearing stories from her grandparents and other relatives who had moved from the South to the North, sparking her personal interest in the Great Migration of African Americans during the Jim Crow era. Heather’s graduate work focused on American History and Religious Studies, specifically on the overlooked history of new religious movements within the African American community, explored within the broader cultural, political, and historical context of the American narrative. She taught American religious history and World Religions at Florida A & M University an Florida State University. After moving to Blacksburg, she became interested in the African American communities of the region and the rich history of those who remained in the South, using their economic ingenuity to build lives for themselves and care for their communities.
Heather’s presentation will center on the personal perspective of an African American woman who moved to Blacksburg and gained inspiration from the rich history of Black communities here. This presentation will highlight the cultural and historical landscape of Reconstruction and Jim Crow, oral histories, and archival materials to provide a deeper understanding of the importance of incorporating African American history into the grand narrative of the history of Virginia and the US. Through her eyes, the audience will gain a deeper understanding of how history is lived, remembered, and honored.
Please note, we have no wiggle room on reservations for the spring luncheons. We are changing our location because of renovations to the Blacksburg Country Club, and Warm Hearth requires a solid commitment well before the luncheon date. Please be understanding.
We look forward to hearing Heather’s perspective on the African American historical and cultural experience in the greater Blacksburg area.
Be part of VTWC history
A Peek into Our History and Strength for Our Future
Dr. T. Marshall Hahn and his wife Peggy were the youngest couple to serve as president and first lady of Virginia Tech. Their name and legacy grace four buildings at VT: Hahn Hall-South Wing, Hahn Hall-North Wing, the Hahn Hurst Basketball Practice Center, and the Peggy Lee Hahn Garden Pavilion and Horticulture Garden.
Mrs. Hahn has one more legacy to add to this list. The Women’s Club was conceived at a bridge game where Mrs. William W. Brandt, Mrs. G. C. Graf, and Mrs. Marshall Hahn began to sketch out a plan for a social group to encourage women at the university to have fellowship. Mrs. Hahn and ten other women formed a committee, and here we are today.
As the president’s wife, Mrs. Hahn served as the first honorary president, a tradition that continues today.
In 1965, our parent organization, VPI Faculty Women’s Club, had 350 members. By 1967, membership had grown to 416. In 1971, the name became Virginia Tech Faculty Women’s Club. In 2017, the Club name was changed for the third time to Virginia Tech Women’s Club and opened membership to all women who support the expanded purpose of VTWC—sharing opportunities for intellectual growth, friendship, social activities, and service.
VTWC supports one of the largest scholarship programs managed by the Community Foundation of the New River Valley.
Current members Margaret Kates and Frances Frederick were charter members in 1965. We extend appreciation to the women leaders and visionaries who came before us and commit ourselves to achieving the purpose of this important community organization.
Each of us can help by sharing information with other women who could benefit from what our Club provides and who have talents they may contribute. We need board members, interest group chairs, service volunteers, and women who wish to join together for travel, interest groups, and forums.
Our goal is to return to 350 members strong. If you have renewed your membership, thank you. If you have not renewed your membership, please do so by visiting our website.