Dr. J. Earl Moreland (1897 - 1987)

Dr. J. Earl Moreland

As President of Randolph-Macon College from 1939 to 1967, Dr. Moreland is credited with building the enrollment, reputation, physical plant, and financial stability of the school.

The Moreland era witnessed a tremendous expansion of the college, with almost every campus building east of Henry Street constructed during his tenure, including Fox Hall (1951), Smithey Hall (1952), Blackwell Auditorium (1953), Page Library (1961), Haley Hall (1965), Crenshaw Gymnasium (1965) and Moreland Dormitory (1967).

The Moreland era was also about intellectual expansion, with the college adding philosophy, psychology, economics, political science, and fine arts departments.

Moreland encouraged the board of trustees to accept the first African-American students in 1964, and hire the first African-American professor, Charlotte Fitzgerald.