William Edward Lavery

Who was William Edward Lavery?

William Edward Lavery was the 12th President of Virginia Tech. He served from January 1, 1975 to December 31, 1987.

Lavery brought stability to the university following the years of explosive growth under President [T. Marshall Hahn Jr.] But, he ushered in rapid growth in other areas, complementing Hahn’s successes. He emphasized research, and expenditures in support of research totaled more than $70.2 million by fiscal year 1987, moving the university into the top 50 research institutions in the nation.

He enhanced research opportunities by initiating the Corporate Research Center and Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties. During his 12-year term, the first two buildings were begun at the center and two more were planned.

Under Lavery the university made giant technological leaps. The CRC received an antenna to link Virginia Tech to the world via satellite, and the Extension division developed a series of 26 downlink sites throughout the state. Installation began on a new communication system for the campus, the university purchased a supercomputer, and the first proposal was developed for what later became the Blacksburg Electronic Village.