Memo from R. S. Underhill to George M. Modlin

Memo from R. S. Underhill to George M. Modlin

This document is a memo from R. S. Underhill of University College to George M. Modlin, the President of the University of Richmond, that was sent on October 14, 1963, with the subject "McGuire Veterans Hospital." Underhill wrote to Modlin regarding problems with integration in the Management Center; Underhill told Dr. Scott, the Director at McGuire, and Mr. Hitchings, the Assistant Director at McGuire, that "there were no barriers as far as the Center was concerned to putting on integrated programs at McGuire" and that there were also no barriers "because of race, color or creed" in on-campus programs. Underhill told Scott and Hitchings that they could enroll a black person in one of his courses if they wanted to challenge Underhill’s claims because then they would be able to "state unequivocally to the people in Washington that we were integrated." Instead, Hitchings enrolled one of his staff members who is not black. Scott and Hitchings were still concerned about integration problems at the university and were unable to contact Modlin by phone; however, Underhill did not want to issue an official statement regarding the university’s policy. Scott and Hitchings were still interested in having Underhill put on some "in-plant programs" at the hospital and Underhill wrote that he believed doing this would lead to an expansion of his training to other hospitals in the area. The University would not begin integrating until 1964.

Memo from R. S. Underhill to George M. Modlin, 14 October 1963, RG 6.2.4 box 4, University Archives, Virginia Baptist Historical Society.

1963-10-14

English

UA6.2.4.4-19631014.pdf

Richmond (Va.)