President Bessie Carter Randolph Papers

Bessie Carter Randolph was born to Rev. Charles Carter Randolph and Sarah Blair McGuire Randolph on February 26th 1885. She attended Hollins Institute from 1902 to 1905. She would return to recieve her A.B. in the 1911-1912 academic year after the institute was rechristened Hollins College. Randolph would then get her Masters and later her PHD from Radcliffe University in 1916 and 1926 respectively. Prior to her tenure as Hollins' President, Bessie Carter Randolph taught at Farmville State Teachers College, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, Florida State College for Women in the field of Political Science. She also served on the University of Viriginia's Board of Visitors and Hollins' Board of Trustees. Randolph was inagurated on February 21, 1934 – the first president to recieve an innagural ceremony – and remained president until her retirement in 1950. During her tenure, Hollins was included into the Assoication of American Universities' "Accepted List of Colleges and Univeristies Approved by the Association." Dr. Randolph was incumbant during the centennial celebration and shepherded the establishment of the Humanities, Social Science, Natural Sciences, and Fine Arts Academic divisions. Her presidency also oversaw the construction and renovation of Barbee, Tinker Tea House (now Cromer Bergman Alumnae House) and the Art Annex. After retirement, she settled in the City of Lynchburg where she stayed until her death on July 2nd, 1966 at 81 years of age. She is burried at the Spring Hill Cemetery Lynchburg VA with her younger brother Charles Carter Randolph Jr.

Awards and Accolades: Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion Fellowship of international law from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace