The Virginia Randolph Foundation, Inc.

The Virginia Randolph Foundation, Inc. was formed in 1954 to formulate and plan a suitable memorial to honor Virginia Estelle Randolph for her outstanding accomplishments in the field of public free school education in the Southern States, especially in Henrico County, Virginia. To this end, the Foundation annually awards scholarships to Henrico County high school students who will be attending a 4 year college or university. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, sex or national origin.

Virginia Estelle Randolph, a daughter of slave parents, began teaching in Henrico County in 1892. From her beginnings as a teacher in a one room school house on the Old Mountain Road, Miss Randolph became nationally recognized as a pioneer educator, humanitarian and leader in the field of education.

Her innovative practices and ideas in education, led to her being appointed the first Jeans Supervising Industrial Teacher in 1908. In 1938, Miss Randolph was appointed to the Industrial School Board of Colored Children after the death of noted Richmonder, Maggie Walker. She also served for many years on the Inter-Racial and Health Board for the State of Virginia.

That one room school house has long ago disappeared and its location has become the Virginia Randolph Education Center, a campus containing a high school, an adult learning center, a special education center, and a museum dedicated to her honor.

During her 57 year career with the Henrico County School System, she contiued to influence her students and other educators throughout the world. On March 16, 1958, Miss Randolph passed away quietly at her home in Richmond, Virginia at the age of 84.