CHAPTER HISTORY
FOUNDERS
Wallace C. Arnold Cecil V. Bernard Pamela W. Bernard Brenda B. Cook Douglas J. DePriest Carolyn P. DuBose James W. Freeman Patricia Y. Hollingsworth Louise H. McGregor Nancy S. Smackum Joshua Thomas Shirley J. Vann Arthur B. Williams, Jr. Rebecca M. Wright |
More than thirty five years ago, a group of loyal Hamptonians met to discuss forming an alumni chapter in the Northern Virginia community. That initial meeting was held in Arlington, Virginia at the home of James and Leila Freeman on January 15, 1979. Although many of those in attendance did not know each other, they shared a common bond as Hampton alumni and it was their connection to Hampton that brought them together. The Northern Virginia Chapter (NOVA) of the National Hampton Alumni Association, Inc. NHAA, Inc. was formed more than a century after Brigadier General Samuel Armstrong founded the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in 1868.
Wallace C. Arnold, who had been assigned to the Pentagon, was unanimously elected the first President of NOVA NHAA, Inc. He helped form a strong organization while on his way to becoming a General in the United States Army. The installation of chapter officers was performed by Alphonso Knight, the Director of Alumni Affairs. Others participating were Phillip F. Lee, President of the Middle Atlantic Region (MAR) and Thomas M. Childs, MAR Fundraising Chair. They were present to guide the group and help formalize the chapter. George DuBose, III, a student at the time, was the photographer. When the special meeting ended, there were 14 new members. The new chapter quickly became part of the community. Through the years, the membership continued to grow to an all-time high of over 100. The organization supports Hampton University through Annual Giving. This is done through personal contributions combined with wide-ranging fundraising activities, including the Annual Scholarship Gala. Through the years, Northern Virginia Chapter members have held key leadership positions at the Regional and National levels of the National Hampton Alumni Association, Inc. The chapter has been led by fifteen Presidents: Wallace C. Arnold, Carolyn P. DuBose, Joshua Thomas, R. Ellsworth Williams, Joseph E. Nickens, Sr., Bernice Dawson, Theresa Wells, Louise Nickens, R. Sue Briggs, Calvin Nelson, Jr., Lorraine Jackson, Erlisa King, Lani P. Shaw, Kelli D. Boyer, and Willie Williams, Jr. |