James R. Wilkins (July 16, 1910 – September 13, 1996) was an American retailer, developer, community leader, and philanthropist in and around Winchester, in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. He is best known for his instrumental role in relocating Shenandoah College & Conservatory of Music, now known as Shenandoah University, to Winchester in 1960.
| James R. Wilkins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1910-07-16)July 16, 1910 Virgilina, Virginia |
| Died | September 13, 1996(1996-09-13) (aged 86) Winchester, Virginia |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur and Philanthropist |
| Spouse | Mary B. O'Brien (M. 1944) |
| Honours |
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Early life
Wilkins was born with humble beginnings in Virgilina, Virginia, one of four sons and one sister. His father, was foreman for a local construction company.
Wilkins left high school at age 16 in 1926 and went to California, where he found work in the oil fields. A year later, he returned home, completed high school, and later attended Hampden-Sydney College before taking a construction job to help pay his older brother’s tuition at the same institution.
Civil Conservation Corps
The onset of the Great Depression caused Wilkins’ construction job to disappear and he found work with the Federal Forest Service, now the National Park Service. In April 1933 became superintendent of Camp Roosevelt in Edinburg, Virginia the first Civilian Conservation Corps' (CCC) camp. When the camps began offering night classes, Wilkins began teaching courses in surveying, wildlife management, and literacy.
Career
World War II
The advent of World War II caused the CCC camps to close. Wilkins went off to Army officer candidate school, emerging as a second lieutenant and continued his education at George Washington University's School of Engineering, in Washington D.C., where he completed 90 hours of work in building construction and supervision. In 1944, before his deployment to Nigeria and Sudan, Wilkins married Mary B. O'Brien. During the war, he aided in the construction of landing strips for the Army Air Corps, retiring with the rank of major in 1947.
Rebuilding his business
Wilkins began his entrepreneurial journey in the shoe business while serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), investing in two shoe stores in Central Virginia. Following his military service, his stores had been depleted of inventory due to wartime rationing. Wilkins returned east with his wife and newborn son. He stopped at the International Shoe Company in Saint Louis and other vendors in New York City. With his stores restocked, Wilkins expanded his ShoeCenter chain into Front Royal and Winchester, Virginia, where he settled with his family and welcomed their daughter, Donna Lee, in 1949.
Community involvement
With the success of his Winchester store, Wilkins turned his attention to development and community service and was active until his death in the Chamber of Commerce, Lion’s Club, Virginia Retail Merchants, and the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival.
In 1952, he began work on Winchester's first industrial park. With a few friends purchased a large parcel of land just south of Winchester and laid underground utilities. Wilkins worked with the city to secure water for the facilities. These parks attracted clean industries, enhanced economic opportunities for local residents, and drew young, talented individuals to the area.
Moving a college to Winchester
In 1955, Wilkins, now president of the local Chamber of Commerce, spearheaded efforts to bring a college to Winchester. His task force identified Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music, a struggling institution in Dayton, Virginia. On February 6th, 1958 ground was broken for the first two buildings on the Winchester campus and in September of 1960 the first classes began.
For the next 22 years, Wilkins played a pivotal role in Shenandoah's development, and often paying the bills to ensure Shenandoah's financial stability. In 1982, while accepting an award at Ferrum College, Wilkins met Dr. James A. Davis and convinced him to take on the role as president of Shenandoah College. Under Davis's leadership, the school prospered, and Wilkins was able to step back from daily involvement.
Now the college is a university with over 4,300 students. With undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees. The university is known for its strong programs in the health sciences, with 60% of students majoring in health professions such as pharmacy, physical therapy, and physician assistant studies. Additionally, Shenandoah has a robust athletics program with 22 Division III teams and a renowned conservatory that produces graduates who go on to work on Broadway and perform throughout the world.
Legacy
In 1994, two years before his death, Wilkins placed his entire personal estate into a charitable foundation to be overseen by his children and grandchildren as trustees. Among the non-profits and charities the James R. Wilkins Charitable Trust proudly supports.
- Shenandoah University
- Ferrum College
- State Arboretum of Virginia
- Shenandoah Battlefields Foundation
- The James R. Wilkins Civil Conservation Corps Interpretive Center
- The Winchester Educational Foundation
- Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival
- Winchester Medical Center Foundation
And many more.
- "Shenandoah University Historic Timeline". Shenandoah University.
- ^ Downing, Donna (2010). Out of the Ashes: The Memoirs of James R. Wilkins (1st ed.). Winchester, Virginia. ISBN 9780615416229.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - "Shenandoah County's Other CCC Camp". Mountain Courier. May 1, 2024.
- "The Impact of the CCC is Still Being Felt". The Free Press. September 12, 2013.
- ^ Slagle, Edward (2016). Recalling the Civil Conservation Corps: The History of the CCC (2nd ed.). Edward S. Slagel. pp. 202, 468–469. ISBN 9780997123708.
- Wilkins, Sr., James R. (1985). The Impossible Task: A History of Shenandoah University 1875-1995 and the Moving and Rebuilding of the Colleges in Winchester, Virginia, 1955-1985. Also, a Brief History of the Old John Kerr School and Early Education in the Winchester, Virginia Area (2nd ed.). Harrisonburg, Virginia.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - "Shenandoah College and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music signed an official agreement allowing architects to proceed with the planning of buildings for the campus". The Winchester Star. June 6, 1957.
- "Relocation Takes Place in School's 85th Year". The Winchester Star. November 12, 1960.
- "Shenandoah: One of Wilkins' Successes". The Winchester Star. November 5, 1981.
- Wilkins, Jr., James R. (2023). Man on the Move (1st ed.). James R. Wilkins Jr. ISBN 9798218033194.